Tempest
by Kuchia-chi
Summary: Back in time and armed with years of future knowledge, Sakura is ready to take the world by storm. Except... she's four again, not twelve. Ah well, nobody said she couldn't start a little early. Gen, time travel, AU, Sakuracentric. Adopted from cywsaphyre
1. Some Things Change, Some Things Don't

Disclaimer: This fic was adopted from cywsaphyre and I'll writing my own chapters from chapter 7 onwards

* * *

The first thing Sakura thought when she opened her eyes was, "I'll kill Naruto for painting my ceiling pink."

That was quickly followed by the chilling thought, " **Naruto's already _dead_ , stupid," **except it wasn't her who supplied that helpful reminder.

Shooting up in bed, Sakura automatically reached under her pillow for a kunai that wasn't there. Panic set in as Sakura turned to grab the next deadliest object in her vicinity and snatched up a lamp on the bedside table. However, it was only when she struggled to even hold on the the appliance did the battle-worn woman finally stop to fully take in her surroundings.

"Inner?" Sakura tested wearily. She hadn't really talked or "used" inner ever since she was sixteen. When she was younger she had always assumed Inner was a figment of her imagination to help her overcome her loneliness of childhood and better manage her emotions. Now...she wasn't so sure.

" **Who else?** " Inner retorted, sounding exasperated. " **Honestly, Kura-chan, you're not very bright in the morning, are you?"**

Sakura spent a long moment gathering her reeling thoughts, which were currently all over the place. A mental exercise Sakura preferred to do when she was in a high-stress situation was to organise observable facts of the place and predicament when she was stuck.

In this case, she knew the room was bright pastel pink. The bed she was on was pushed into the corner of the room and at the foot of the bed was a tiny desk; most likely for a child around the age of four or five. On the other side of the small room was a plain wardrobe and to it's right was a oval mirror hanging on the wall; and to it's left was a door.

The room felt oddly familiar yet alien at the same time. She couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Where am I?" She finally asked aloud, and then immediately closed her mouth with a near-silent click. She was confused and on edge but she was fairly certain her voice was _not_ supposed to be that… _high-pitched._

Inner snickered in her mind and Sakura felt a familiar annoyance mix with her confusion.

" **Don't you remember?** " Inner asked flippantly. " **Death and destruction? The Kyuubi? Back to the past? Am I ringing any bells here?"**

And just like that, the last memory clicked back into place. This was her room. It was different from the one she remembered from her childhood because when she had entered the Academy, she had redecorated to appear more mature and in control...and maybe hoped that she would at least appear that way if she was to every bring Sasuke over to her place.

It had been years since she had been in her childhood home...she had never mustered the courage to return after it was willed to her.

"I'm back in the past," She felt a melancholy smile spread over her face before felt vexed. "What's wrong with my voice?"

" **Ah, well,"** Inner hedged like she always did when she knew something Sakura wouldn't like to know. " **There might've been a slight…problem."**

And that was how Sakura found out she wasn't twelve, as the Kyuubi had promised in his final moments after Naruto died and her world burned around her, but instead she was four-years-old, tiny and short and about as useful as her shishou was in the rare occasion when she was actually completely drunk out of her mind.

Well, Murphy's Law had always hated Team Seven more than any other.

 **~T~**

Sakura didn't dwell on the miscalculation for long, primarily because she was _home_ and her parents were _alive_ for the first time in ten years. She remembered what a deep sleeper she had always been before her ninja life drilled it out of her so it wasn't a surprise when her parents looked taken aback to see her up and dressed at seven-thirty in the morning.

What did come as a shock were the tears that instantly sprung into her eyes as she saw her mother standing by the stove and her father sitting in his chair at the table with a newspaper cracked open in front of him. It made her heart ache; she hadn't seen either of them like that since she was sixteen and trapped fighting a hopeless war.

Her mother was quick to scoop her up and Sakura wasted no time in snuggling into her, clinging to her like she used to before she started growing up and thought hugs were uncool. It had been so long Sakura hated herself for ever forgetting what her mother even smelt like. Her mother always smelled like her bakery, sometimes sweet from the cakes, sometimes burnt from the crisp pies and pastries, other times she just smelt like coffee and home-cooking.

All Sakura could do was simply spend the next few minutes crying and crying. Had she always been this much of a crybaby when she was four? Sakura the Medic-Nin, Sakura of Team 7, Sakura the battle-hardened war veteran had lost her ability to cry; but now, all she could do was appreciate that all she was was the civilian little girl, daughter of Haruno Mebuki and Kizashi.

Sakura eventually managed to convey to her parents that she was merely upset over a nightmare. Her parents fully accepted her explanation and with concerned eyes ushered her to the kitchen table next to her father. Her mother picked her up and sat her down and Sakura enjoyed her father's comforting arm around her shoulders and as she listened to her mother's reassurances.

Sakura was prone to crying and felt a thrum of fear every time her parents left her line of sight, but it was the happiest she had been for a very long time.

 **~E~**

Soon enough though, her parents were off to work, and Sakura (who even at four) could take care of herself for the most part, was left to her own devices in the house with the next-door neighbour, Maki-san checking in on her every few hours.

That suited Sakura just fine because being babysat at twenty-six, albeit mentally was incredibly embarrassing. So, she sat herself down at her tiny desk in her room and got to work.

She spent the majority of her morning pondering her present place in time with the helpful assistance of a couple pieces of paper and her favourite box of crayons. She eventually gave up on documentation, not due to her traditional training of never leaving a paper trail, but rather her small pudgy hands did not have the grip strength to write as neatly as she wanted.

But before Sakura could curse the Kyuubi for her age again, she grudgingly forgave the him for tricking or lying to her; or simply making a mistake. Especially after she spied something interesting from her bedroom window.

A small group of older men were walking along the street, casually talking to each other without much regard to what was around them. And while, Sakura couldn't care about the contents of their conversation, their clothing had struck a cord in her. Sown onto the back of the black haori was the Uchiha family crest.

The Uchiha family was still alive...

The massacre hadn't happened yet...

Sasuke was still an innocent child who believed everyone in his family believed in Konoha.

Itachi was still innocent of a crime that he didn't need to carry out. A crime that he was manipulated into committing and taking full responsibility for.

There was something more that she could do to save the people that she loved despite the time displacement.

Sasuke had only just entered the Academy when the massacre occurred. That meant he was only six at the time. Two years was not a lot of time to prepare for such a historically important event in Konoha's history to try and change anything but she wasn't Haruno Sakura if she wasn't going to do everything in her power to change what she knew was catastrophically bad for everyone.

So, she mapped out quickly what she was capable of doing in the short amount of time that she was given. Her chakra reserves were abysmal but she still had the comfort of retaining her perfect control. Sakura knew she needed to work on expanding her chakra pathways, because while she could build up her reserves in two years into something relatively decent, if she wasn't able to properly execute her abilities because of a lack of power than it was worthless.

Despite her pitiful chakra reserves and pathways, she was somewhat comforted by the few Bunshins she managed to spit out. And while her physical build was standard for her age, she was able to maintain her taijitsu movements and reaction times. Sakura didn't bother with genjitsu since it was never her strong point and took a lot more chakra than the standard Bunshin.

In the end, after a short workout that left her half-dead on her feet and soaked in sweat, Sakura took a quick shower, whipped up a hasty lunch enough for two, and sneaked out of the house from the backdoor, leaving a clone behind to satisfy her next-door neighbour.

Sakura was tiny and unassuming, but she was still as determined as ever. Her first act in the past would be to find one of her lost boys.

 **~M~**

Sakura checked Ichiraku Ramen, two parks, and four playgrounds before she finally found her past-future teammate alone on a swing set. The other children gave him a wide berth, playing at the other end of the playground, and she felt a deep-seated shame when she realised how lonely Naruto looked.

She started by clambering halfheartedly on a nearby jungle gym because it would just be plain weird if she marched right up and offered to eat lunch with the blond. And Sakura had already decided to stick to her shy persona; it was the only way to throw off suspicion when someone noticed her 'prodigal' skills sooner or later.

She spent the next fifteen minutes playing even as she meandered closer and closer to where Naruto was sitting. Quite a few times, the parents or baby sitters standing around the playground shot her worried looks and Naruto dirty glares and it took everything Sakura had not to blow up at them. She had always had an explosive temper, large enough to rival Tsunade's, and she had no patience for people who looked down on her future Hokage.

But Sakura was supposed to be shy and reticent so she kept her ranger in check and made her way to the swing next to Naruto's instead. She knew the exact moment he tensed as if waiting for barbed words and unfriendly sneers but she ignored this and kicked her feet a couple times to try to get herself moving. For once, she was glad she was so short and her toes barely touched the ground because it gave her an excuse to turn to the boy next to her and blurt out timidly, "Hi, I'm Sakura. Do you mind pushing me?"

The stunned expression on Naruto's face and the way her looked around first as if he thought Sakura was talking to someone else was almost physically painful. But she pushed that aside and waited patiently for Naruto's answer, beaming openly at him when the blond finally nodded, slowly and carefully as if he was waiting for the punchline to a very cruel joke. When Sakura only shifted in her seat expectantly, Naruto got to his feet and circled around her.

"...I'm Naruto, datebayo." He managed to whisper.

The nervously gentle way his hands pressed against her back made her four-year-old tear ducts wanted to fill. She really was a crybaby at heart.

So, Sakura laughed to take her mind off how unfair the world was to her surrogate brother, which wasn't all that hard to do when she caught a glimpse of the brightening light in familiar blue eyes and the tentative grin that answered her.

Only once did Sakura's plan to befriend Naruto threatened to fail. Half an hour after they had taken turned pushing each other on the swings and were taking a breather, one of the adults, a man with dark hair and an even darker scowl came over and began berating Naruto for tainting an innocent girl with his evil.

Naruto immediately shrank in on himself but his chin jutted out defiantly and his hands clenched at his sides, and Sakura didn't know whether she wanted to punch the civilian or cry from the injustice of it all more.

So, she picked neither and reached out to grab Naruto's hand instead.

"Naruto's my friend! Leave him alone or else!" She declared in true four-year-old fashion before spinning on her heel and dragging a completely dumbfounded Naruto after her, leaving the civilian with his mouth hanging open.

Her face warmed as she stormed away and she wondered if a part of her was _actually_ four because some of her reactions thus far had been that of a child's, but she knew the side-effects of travelling back in time were well worth it when she finally stopped by a cherry blossom tree and turned to find Naruto staring at her with heart-wrenching gratitude.

"Let's eat," Sakura said, sitting down on the ground and not caring that her pale pink dress would probably stain as she brought out the lunch she had packed. "I made sandwiches today but I don't think I can eat all of them by myself. Wanna share?"

This time, Naruto agreed readily, plopping down next to her, and Sakura was content to listen to the blond chatter through mouthfuls about what he liked – ramen – and his latest prank – painting the front entrance of the Hokage Tower pitch black – and how he wanted to be a ninja.

When Naruto turned to her, swallowing a large bite of sandwich as his gaze turned sombre and his shoulders squared, Sakura paused as well and tilted her head curiously at him.

"I've a dream too," Naruto revealed, eyeing her intently. "I'll tell ya if ya don't laugh."

Sakura nodded without hesitation. "I promise."

Naruto believed her because he continued, leaning closer as if divulging a secret. "I'mma be Hokage one day. I'll train and become the strongest ninja ever and then I'mma be the greatest Hokage Konoha's ever seen!"

Her stared at her like he expected her to burst out laughing even after she promised, but Sakura didn't think it was funny at all because she _knew_ Naruto would become Hokage, and yes, he _would_ be the greatest one to go down in Konoha history.

She nodded instead and told him, clearly and without guile, "I have a dream too. I wanna be a medic-nin. When you become Hokage, I'll be your head medic."

Maybe it was because there was nothing but honesty in her words, or because she had told him her own dream, or maybe even because she had said 'when' and not 'if', that she was blessed with seeing Naruto's last defences fall as he beamed at her and grinned so widely that she was sure his cheek muscles were sore.

His happiness was contagious though and Sakura found herself smiling back, and they spent the rest of the afternoon chatting about everything and nothing. At six, when she had to head home, she suggested with only a hint of uncertainty, "See you here tomorrow?"

Naruto instantly nodded, waving cheerfully at her as they parted ways.

Sakura turned a corner, hurried home as fast as she could the civilian way and counted it as a win when the ANBU she sensed the moment she entered Naruto's vicinity earlier withdrew as she slipped into her empty house. They had deemed her a non-threat to Naruto which meant her last option of defying older ninja and maybe cracking some heads (which, admittedly, was one of her more reckless ideas) would not have had to be carried out.

 **~P~**

That night, she welcomed her parents with a modest dinner – she stuck to rice and egg and some fish because anything more complicated than that might have had them enrolling her in culinary school or something – and a warm smile when they got home. They were surprised but did not question her sudden interest in the kitchen.

But when Sakura went to sleep, she was submerged in dreams drenched in blood and bodies and she woke up screaming loud enough to wake the dead. She choked on sobs and clutched at her parents when they came running. As she drifted off into a restless doze between her parents, she thought it was time to invest in a few privacy seals, preferably before she was signed up for therapy.

 **~E~**

She was woken up at five the next day and she left another clone in her bed as she slipped out of the house for a walk.

Her feet took her to the memorial stone and she found it ironically amusing that she of all people had taken over Kakashi's ritual. With a sigh, she traced the empty spaces on the stone, the places where the names of her friends had once been in her timeline.

"Never again."

She said it like a promise, an oath, a vow. She would keep it; to die trying wasn't even an option.

She left when she felt a familiar chakra signal approaching; it wouldn't do to let the Copy-nin see her there, no matter how much she missed him.

 **~S~**

Sakura met up with Naruto again that morning like she had promised and he was already acting more like the hyperactive ninja she grew up with - mischievous and enthusiastic, especially now that he realised Sakura really was his friend.

In return, Sakura, after buying a few kunai with the pocket money she had saved up, taught Naruto how to throw them. She couldn't quite help the pride that ran through her at the blond's obvious awe. In her timeline, Naruto had always been the one she depended on. It was nice to give a little back.

 **~T~**

Two weeks after she had returned to the past, Sakura finally stumbled on her best friend and rival.

Leading up to the two week mark, Sakura had kept to her shy character and was weary of other children, even more so when parents, teachers or babysitters ever got the chance to talk to her while she was by herself to try and force her to play with the other children.

So, whenever Naruto returned to her field of vision (with a little help her chakra sensing) she immediately bolted back to his side. Children she wasn't familiar with always reminded her of the times before she had entered the Academy and the way the other kids teased her for her hair and her forehead. So, maintaining her shy persona was fairly easy.

It also helped that because of her constant rejections to play she further became an easy target for bullying.

And that day Naruto was unfortunately busy. He had told her he to visit the Hokage and that it was mandatory. He didn't necessarily use the words "mandatory" but Sakura knew what her dear friend was getting at. The disappointment on his face as he broke the news to her, made a small part of her was guiltily happy at how reluctant he was to leave her side.

So, she spent the day by herself wandering the streets of Konoha, memorising the shops and restaurants that stood where once a battlefield had razed everything to the ground before she eventually found herself walking up to a park entrance.

"Hey, there's Forehead!" A childish voice jeers. A short chorus of laughter quickly followed the remark.

Sakura felt her face warm and mentally cursed her four-year-old body. Outwardly, she backed away from the approaching crowd of children, led by a purple-haired girl that Sakura remembered being tormented by but couldn't quite remember the name of.

"So," The girl came to a stop in front of her, hands on her hips and a superior smirk on her face. "Still showing your face around the village? I feel bad for the people who had to even look at you."

Sakura wasn't sure whether to roll her eyes or scoff but she continued staring at the ground as she backed away.

"What, can't talk either?" The girl stepped forward and shoved Sakura, startling her enough that made her trip and fall to the ground. "You really are dumb. Can't even- "

A bell chimed as a door flew open and someone dashed out onto the street. "Hey!"

Sakura stared wide-eyed at the pale-blonde hair cut stylishly to frame the girl's face and couldn't help thinking of the parallels between the first time she met Yamanaka Ino and now.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ino was scowling at the group, fierce even at four. "Honestly, don't you have anything better to do than pretend you're better than everybody else?"

The purple-haired girl sneered, her eyes flickered to the flower shop before returning to Ino. "What do you know? I'm a kunoichi. You just sell cheap flowers."

Ino somehow managed to make the girl look insignificant in comparison even though she was slightly shorter than the bully. "Not as cheap as you," Ino retorted, eyeing the clothes the girl was wearing. "With those clothes, other ninja could find you from a mile away."

The girl flushed with embarrassment, the dull red rising in her face. Ino didn't wait for a reply, turning to Sakura instead.

"Are you okay?" Ino crouched down in front of a wide-eyed Sakura, holding out a hand.

Sakura knew Ino was tough and often excused her own bossy arrogance but there was a kind side to her that she showed only to her friends and Sakura had always been thankful for it.

She let Ino lead her inside the flower shop, leaving the fuming girls on the street.

"Here," Ino passed a slightly dazed Sakura a white flower with a splash of yellow on the side.

'Euphrasia,' Sakura's mind provided, recalling all the things her time's Ino once taught her about flowers.

"It's a Euphrasia, or Eyebright," Ino told her, smiling encouragingly. "It means cheer up."

One finger poked Sakura on the forehead. "I suppose it is a little big," The blonde continued matter-of-factly. "But who cares?" She tapped a finger on her chin before nodding decisively.

"Wait here," She instructed, before dashing up the steps in the backroom.

Sakura obeyed and fiddled with the flower in her hands. She didn't care if she ended up broke; she was going to buy a preservation seal for this if even if it killed her.

Ino soon returned and Sakura recognised the bright red ribbon trailing from her fingertips. The one her-Ino gave her had long since faded and was even shredded in battle when she was nineteen. She ended up taking a single thread of it and sewed it into her headband. It reminded her of what she was and was still fighting for; her village and her friends.

"There," Ino finished tying Sakura's hair up and dragged her over to a mirror. "You look beautiful, just the way you are. There's no need to hide."

Sakura was four, small and the things she needed to do to save her precious people seemed like an never-ending list.

But when Ino took her hand and smiled like Sakura had been her friend since forever, she could only smile back and hope Ino could see how much their friendship meant to her.

Sakura would save them all this time. She swore this to herself and the people who were all counting on her. Failure was not an option.

* * *

AN **(20/01/2020)** :

Hi everybody.

I have absolutely loved Tempest by cywsaphyre and they generously put it up for adoption.

My writing style is a bit different, the main difference is that I prefer to write in past tense. It took a little while to write out since doesn't allow copy/pastes anymore, but it did help me understand the writing style of the expectations of the fic; so, I hope you will come to like my additions to this story as you go.

So if you're impatient for chapters the first 6 chapters are over on cywasphyre's profile.


	2. Things Begin To Shift

**Konohagakure – 3 and a half years after the Kyuubi Attack**

* * *

The village hidden in the leaves like all the other "hidden" villages were ironically locations known to everyone from all over. It was often a popular tourist destination for the middle-class from all over because of their lush environment, the welcoming and friendly atmosphere and the vibrant economy. However, as a consequence, Konohagakure was often seen as the softest hidden village due to its connections with the civilians; especially since the Hokage could often be seen walking around the village without too much concern and most likely neglecting some minor paperwork that he would rather put off until it was absolutely needed.

Some would call this poor leadership, while others sure it as strengthening relations and understanding the ins and out of the country.

But Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't present his opinion on the matter, it didn't do much harm so long as he did what was needed for the village.

Hiruzen dipped his hat to a couple of elderly women who happily greeted him, "You lovely ladies have husbands, don't forget." He chuckled.

The women laughed at the Hokage's sense of humour and continued about their day without another thought. It would have been a strange sight if it were any other hidden village, so Hiruzen took great pride in his interactions. The elderly man slowly made his way towards the orphanage that was located on the outskirts of the village.

It was neatly placed a good distance between Konohagakure and the next village from the Southern Gate. Anyone who knew the Hokage knew exactly the reason he was visiting orphanage since the Kyuubi attack. He and his wife had been raising the host of the Kyuubi until it wasn't politically acceptable for the her to stay with them and was promptly transferred to the orphanage. Trusted guards were stationed to watch her day in and day out in order to prevent anyone from adopting her.

But, today Hiruzen was forced to come to a decision that he really wished he didn't have to take especially since he was worried about the possible outcome of Uzumaki Naruto's health.

"Hokage-sama, it's an honour to have to visit our humble orphanage today. I'm sure the children will be very excited to see you. They're always so full of energy." The warden greeted.

"It always inspires this old man whenever I get the chance to see such youth; it makes me envious at times."

The warden nodded her head politely and ushered Hiruzen into the building. For the first hour or so, Hiruzen greeted and interacted with the children, asking them what they wanted to be when they grew up, what their favourite things were, ect. But eventually, like every other person that came in, the children eventually lost interest and Hiruzen was able to find the warden and finally discuss the business that he originally came to do.

"Warden, my business here today actually concerns the placement of Uzumaki Naruto."

"What about her?" The warden hissed.

"Nothing troubling for the orphanage hopefully; the council has unanimously decided to transfer the girl to her own apartment and will financially support herself."

The warden's eyes widened in shock and excitement, "Dear me, Hokage-same, that's the best news I've heard all year. Honestly, the children here have been having such bad luck getting adopted since that little menace was given to us. It must be a curse. I'll get her right now, please wait here, Hokage-same."

The warden disappeared from her office and Hiruzen rung his hands with worry.

* * *

Naruto had isolated herself in her room a lot as she grew up. It only took her a couple trips into the dining room with the other kids or wondered out of her room in general. The children were cruel and whenever she went to the warden they ignored her and sometimes even encouraged the children.

No, she couldn't take leaving her room if she could help it.

Instead she stayed in her room and played with her parents. Now, it would be strange for a supposed orphan to be playing with her parents. No, little Naruto had been blessed with the gift of seeing spirits and ghosts of all kinds.

Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina were extremely happy since they found out about Naruto's gift two years ago. Not only was she able to hear them and speak to them, they had also observed how being close to her given them enough spiritual power to move objects and sometimes even cast a projection.

Kushina had too much fun with that latter piece of information; especially when the older kids would try to sneak in to bully her daughter in the middle of the night.

"Kaa~?" Naruto whined after she noticed her beautiful, fiery mother wasn't paying enough attention to her.

"What's the matter, my cute Naruto-chan?" Kushina smiled lovingly and ruffled her soft, fluffy

"Tou?"

"Tou-chan? I think Tou-chan's outside, checking on what all the noise is."

"Tou outside?"

"Yep, you're getting smarter by the day aren't you, Naruto-chan?"

Naruto laughed and smiled at her mother's coddling. She stopped when she saw her father fly through the door and whisper to her mother about something and their face turned grave. Kushina was the one to take charge of taking care of Naruto and keeping her calm.

"Naruto-chan, Jii-chan is here to take you to your new home, so your dad and I are going to pack your stuff so you can get ready to leave right away."

"Okay?" Naruto didn't completely understand what her mum was talking about but she knew that if her parents were going to start moving things around her room then she needed to leave the room.

Kushina and Minato had taken a great amount of care to make sure that whoever their daughter's shinobi guards weren't around when they were moving objects around. The last thing they wanted was Naruto to display some hidden talent that could warrant persuading Anbu, Root or the council to best weaponize their daughter.

Naruto quickly and cautiously made her way outside, narrowly avoiding the warden who screamed at her to pack up her shit before finding a nice tree to sit far enough from the orphanage so she wasn't bothered and could watch the crystal blue sky with a smile on her face.

It was there that a curious face appeared in front of her startling her.

"You're the girl that can see us, aren't you?" The ghost was a teenager, a boy in plain clothes.

Naruto nodded silently before looking around her. Her parents told her she was always watched and not to talk to other ghosts without them around; she was a good girl.

The boy laughed, "You're a funny one, but it's so cool that you can see us. You're like one of those super ninjas from the books."

Naruto didn't understand much of what the boy was saying because he was talking too fast but she let him rambled on. There were a few ghosts around the orphanage. Some passed away from illness, others were adopted but their spirits returned to the orphanage. Those that returned were the scariest and Naruto never dared to approach them.

Something about them terrified her and spoke of bad news.

"Naruto-chan."

The ghost went silent at the arrival of the Hokage. Naruto peered over at him and watched as something flashed across his face and he disappeared in front of her. The spirits often did this when they wanted privacy. Once they were invisible, she noticed, it was difficult to persuade them to return.

"Jii-chan" Naruto greeted blankly. She was by no means socially bright when it came to the people in front of her but sometimes she could put two and two together.

The Hokage smiled warmly at the girl; she was often tense with him. Hiruzen guessed it was because he rarely visited her enough to warrant her trust but he knew he would get there eventually.

"How would you like some lunch? I was thinking of taking you to Yakiniku Q."

At the sound of food, she brightened like a flash of lightning.

"Really?! Thank you, Jiji!"

"First, we'll need to get some of your stuff before we go, is that okay?"

Naruto nodded without a second thought or concern. Jiji knew what she would need so why delay with suspicion. She jumped up and began sprinting towards her room, waving at the old man and yelling for him to hurry up.

When Naruto slipped through the children almost artfully to the Hokage's intrigue, she swung open the door to her tiny room and sitting in the centre of the floor was bag. Naruto looked around the room, she didn't find her parents but grabbed the bag without a second thought.

"I'm ready!" She cheered.

When Hiruzen walked into the room he stared at the bag that was the same size as her and clearly struggling to lift it off the ground. He blinked once, and then twice.

How?

She was too young to understand that she was going to be moving out of the orphanage even if she had eavesdropped. There was clearly no one that inside the orphanage that would help her out. Maybe the guard he stationed. He'll have to ask later.

"Food!"

Hiruzen was broken out of his suspicions, smiled falsely, took Naruto's bag and made their way to Yakiniku Q.

The trip there was a long one, it took about 30 minutes walking there. Naruto was determined to walk by herself but after 10 minutes she sheepishly tugged on the Hokage's robes and asked to be carried.

The old man chuckled and happily obliged the girl. He praised her for how long she was able to walk all by herself and that he was incredibly proud of her.

When they arrived at the restaurant they were begrudgingly given a table at the very back of the store where the owners hoped that they weren't going to be seen by their customers in case it effected their business.

"Naruto, sweetheart, you shouldn't eat too fast - there, there, have a glass of water. It'll help you feel better"

"Minato, always a worrywart, aren't you -ttebane?" Kushina giggled

"How can I not, you two eat the exact same way. It's always concerning."

"Hey!"

This time it was Minato's turn to laugh as he flew around the restaurant as fast as he could away from his wife.

Naruto laughed through her coughs at her parents before greedily emptying her glass of water; but her choking fit didn't stop her from eating until her stomach was so full she couldn't move. A triumphant grin spread across her face and the warm atmosphere that Hiruzen was pultruding allowed her to feel safe.

That was when Hiruzen was forced to tell her that she was going to be living by herself in an apartment that the council had already paid for. Naruto didn't completely understand but she still told him with absolute confidence, "I okay, Jii-chan, good myself."

"You'll be good by yourself?"

"Good by myself!" She repeated proudly.

"If you're sure, Naruto-chan, I'll be sure to have someone check on you every few days. Now, how about I show you your new place?"

Naruto nodded her head and they made their way to the new apartment. To Hiruzen it was small, little storage room, the necessities and small shelf like balcony outside of the window; it was enough for a growing child but it was still disheartening.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay by yourself, Naruto-chan?" Hiruzen asked concerned.

"Yep!" The little blonde girl tugged on her bag and the Hokage relinquished his hold. She dragged the bag over to the corner and grinned at the old man.

It was in the moment that Sarutobi Hiruzen felt himself age at the sight. He remembered when his son was the same age as Naruto. He remembered how demanding he was for his time and attention. He remembered how Asuma would sometimes chuck his food at him when he wasn't happy with something.

And Naruto…her bright blue eyes filled with confidence and almost no childhood behind them already. She was going to be forced to shop for food, clothes and other items all by herself and it was going to be even more difficult with the village's hostility towards her.

Hiruzen sighed, he was going to do his best to offer as much relief as possible wherever he could with as little opposition as possible.

"Come to me if there is anything, anything as all, you need help with, Naruto-chan. I need to head back to the office now. Please take care of yourself."

The girl waved the Hokage goodbye, Minato closed the curtains and Kushina began unpacking her stuff. It was going to be a very new life for Uzumaki Naruto.


	3. Chapter 3: To Get One

It wasn't often that true prodigies were born. Hatake Kakashi was one. Uchiha Itachi another. Sarutobi liked to think Namikaze Minato was also one, but though his successor was a genius with seals and ninjutsu, he could not be classified as a true prodigy, not on Kakashi or Itachi's level anyway. So, Sarutobi was intrigued when he started hearing signs of new one.

It certainly came to a surprise for Sarutobi when, one day, the ANBU he assigned to watch Naruto came back and reported that his surrogate grandson had made a friend.

A civilian girl who went by the name Haruno Sakura. A child with pink hair who seemed honest and open if not a bit shy and played with Naruto without reluctance.

Sarutobi was not ignorant to the way his village treated his late successor's son. He was disgusted by their display and hatred but there wasn't much he could do about it; but he _could_ protect Naruto to some degree so the first thing he did was found out as much as he could about Naruto's new friend.

Haruno Sakura was four years old, almost five. Her father, Haruno Kizashi, was a construction worker, and her mother Haruno Mebuki, owned a local bakery in the civilian district. She was born in Konoha; as were her parents, who were honest, hardworking citizens. She was shy and sometimes bullied and did not have any civilian friends. She had also struck up a friendship with his head interrogator's daughter, and Sarutobi knew there weren't any problems on that end.

There wasn't much else about her that particularly stood out, and as days turned into weeks and his ANBU continued to give him reports about Naruto, their voices became just a little bit milder when they talked about Sakura, as if they genuinely liked her even though they had never talked to her. Sarutobi was used to harder tones because the people Naruto usually interacted with – shopkeepers, restaurant owners, etc. – often treated him with resentment and anger.

On the contrary, these incidents seemed to lessen with each daily report, and when Sarutobi enquired to the reason, the ANBU who was reporting to him – Crow – told him about the little spitfire Sakura could become. He described the way Sakura scowled and defended Naruto against anyone who spoke badly to his face and never let anybody finish an entire insult before she cut them off. Sarutobi swore Crow was laughing inside when he relayed all that.

So, Sarutobi was satisfied with Naruto's new friend, especially after Naruto came on one of his bi-weekly visits to his office and told him all about Sakura, how cool she was, how nice she was, and how she was _his friend._

Sarutobi couldn't be happier.

But one thing that did pique his interest was when his ANBU and Naruto both brought up Sakura's proficiency with kunai and shuriken. Naruto even demonstrated what he had learned from Sakura and Sarutobi was amazed when Naruto held a kunai in a roughly expert grip and outlined a rough circle on his office wall.

Curious about any other skills Sakura might have possessed, Sarutobi sent out a few ANBU to observe her. They came back and relayed with borderline awe that Sakura had excellent chakra control, could walk up walls without problem and knew basic medical ninjutsu.

Sarutobi was stunned. There had never been a case in Konoha where a prodigy had come from a civilian sector.

But before Sarutobi could make up his mind about what to do with the information the ANBU told him that Sakura had befriended the second son of the Uchiha Clan Head and gave Naruto a rival to boot. Sarutobi didn't know whether to laugh or sigh when Crow told him, with no small amount of amusement, that the two boys didn't like to share their female friend.

Sarutobi also heard that Uchiha Mikoto had taken to spending time with all three children and she had not discouraged Sasuke from associating with Naruto. The Hokage was quick to order his ANBU to keep an eye on this; he didn't know what the Uchiha Clan was up to but he didn't want them using Naruto in any of their plans.

But his ANBU assured him that she didn't do anything and while a little cold to Naruto at first, she had slowly softened and now treated him with almost as much affection as she did Sakura, whom Mikoto seemed to have taken a great liking to.

That news eased Sarutobi somewhat. He wasn't sure why Fugaku hadn't implemented the Jinchuuriki into whatever recent plan the Uchihas had cooked up but perhaps the Clan Head still had enough respect for Minato to leave his son well enough alone.

But still, Haruno Sakura was intriguing and Sarutobi was looking forward to what she could do as a kunoichi. He thought it was about time to suggest to Naruto to bring the girl along with him next time he came to visit.

"Hokage-sama,"

Sarutobi looked up from his thoughts and the paperwork he had been going over and nodded at the ANBU in front of him. Crow was on Naruto duty again today.

"There has been an incident," Crow said after a curt salute. "An attempted abduction of Uchiha Sasuke took place in front of the Uchiha compound earlier this evening."

Sarutobi almost snapped the writing utensil in his hand but his face was outwardly calm as he waited for the ANBU to continue.

"The abduction failed and the shinobi who attempted the kidnapping had been confirmed as a missing-nin from Iwa," Crow expanded, and then paused. Sarutobi got the feeling that the man wasn't sure how to proceed.

"The missing-nin is currently being healed so we can hand him over to Yamanaka-sama," Crow finally said.

Sarutobi nodded, his shoulders loosening a notch as he frowned over the ANBU's words. "Fugaku-san stopped the abduction?" He pressed. He knew the Clan Head took personal offence if any of his clan members were attacked at home. "Or Itachi-kun?" The young Uchiha heir's obsession with protecting his younger brother was sometimes almost worrying to Sarutobi.

Crow was silent for a few seconds. "No, Hokage-sama," There was a strange inflection to his voice that Sarutobi couldn't quite puzzle out. "Haruno Sakura stopped the abduction."

Sarutobi literally did not know what to say to that. His mind tried to work out how a four-year-old civilian child could possible stop a missing-nin and one from Iwa no less. Granted, the girl was turning out to be quite the genius but a _missing-nin_?

"What did she do?" He demanded. "How did she manage to send the missing-nin to the hospital?"

Crow shook his head a little in a way that gave Sarutobi the impression that the man was just as shocked as he was.

Crow cleared his throat and Sarutobi leaned forward intently. "She and Uzumaki Naruto were just leaving and she must have sensed the missing-nin's approach. She Shunshined back to Uchiha Sasuke just as the missing-nin tried to snatch the boy. She had a kunai with her and defended with that. It presented her with an opening in which she took," He paused and shifted a little on the spot. "…I believe she utilised something similar to Tsunade-sama's technique. Her chakra-enhanced punch sent the missing-nin through three trees and a park bench and gave him two broken ribs, a concussion, and partly severed a neck artery with her kunai."

Sarutobi was speechless for a long moment. It took perfect or near-perfect chakra control to do what his old student could do and a _four-year-old_ managed to pull it off?

"Sakura-chan did this?" He said aloud, not really meaning it as a question. "And she did not get hurt?"

Crow shook his head. "No, she took the missing-nin by surprise; he was not expecting retaliation from any of the children."

Sarutobi was mentally reeling from the new turn of events but still had the presence of mind to demand, "You let a four-year-old girl confront a missing-nin _alone_?"

Crow immediately bowed his head and when he spoke, his voice was a little tighter. Sarutobi knew all the ANBU on Naruto duty had grown fond of Haruno Sakura, which was also part of the reason why he couldn't believe she was the only one who went to Sasuke's defence.

"There are no longer as many incidents between Uzumaki-kun and the villagers and we have taken to following from a farther distance," Crow admitted in a flat voice. "And today is also Haruno-san's birthday; we gave the children more privacy to celebrate."

Sarutobi winced. Naruto had been telling him all about Sakura's birthday for weeks.

"That is no excuse," His voice came out even harsher than he intended; he felt a little sick that Sakura had to face a kidnapping attempt on her friend and no doubt saw the blood she herself had had to draw on her birthday of all days.

"It was our mistake, Hokage-same," Crow's voice was still professionally bland but Sarutobi could sense the anger behind it and knew the man was genuinely sorry. "It will not happen again."

Sarutobi nodded curtly. "Where is she now?"

"Uchiha Mikoto cleaned her up and accompanied her home," Crow relayed.

Sarutobi blanched. "Cleaned her- "

"Some of the arterial spray ended up on her," Crow confirmed stiffly.

Sarutobi closed his eyes and hoped Sakura was not too traumatised. "How did she seem afterwards? Do I need to send Inoichi over to her house?"

Crow hesitated but eventually gave a negative. "She was shaking immediately after and Mikoto-sama had to carry her halfway home but she seemed alright overall. She did not cry."

That could be shock, Sarutobi thought grimly, but put the issue out of his mind for now. His ANBU would tell him if Sakura showed signs of trauma in the days to come.

"Very well, keep me updated about the missing-nin," Sarutobi said instead. "I want him in front of Inoichi the moment he wakes up." He paused, and then added, "One more thing; who else saw Sakura-chan's abilities besides Sasuke-kun and Naruto?"

"Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Fugaku, and Uchiha Itachi. As well as several Uchiha children."

Sarutobi mentally grimaced but only nodded dismissively at the ANBU. Crow gave another sharp bow before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sarutobi sighed and leaned back, grabbing his pipe. He would need to speak with Fugaku the coming morning about the attempted abduction. There was also the knowledge that the Uchiha Clan Head would no longer leave Sakura along to worry about.

Sarutobi found Haruno Sakura to be an intriguing girl, and after tonight's mishap, even more so. But Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi were both just as intriguing and they came with their fair share of problems. He had no doubts that Sakura would be the same, and that was what worried him most of all.

 **~T~**

Kizashi and Mebuki did not go to work the next day and Sakura could admit to a little relief when she woke up choking on screams and found them sitting in the living room.

They hovered over Sakura all day, and though she felt slightly smothered, Sakura didn't complain. She knew she had worried them and they were simply reassuring themselves that their daughter was still very much alive.

She wasn't surprised when she sensed Naruto's approach and a knock at her door sounded a few minutes later. Even as a child and despite the fact that Sakura could throw a kunai a lot better than he could, Naruto was still just as protective of her now as he was in the future.

"I'm fine, Naruto," She said for the fifth time as they sat outside in the garden munching on the lunches Sakura's mother made for them. "Completely fine, honest. The man didn't even scratch me."

"That punch was so cool, Sakura-chan!" Naruto crowed, practically bouncing in place. "Can ya teach me? Please?"

Sakura smiled but shook her head. "You need perfect chakra control to do something like that, Naruto, and with all that energy, you're probably more of an offensive type."

Naruto's face fell and Sakura felt unbearable guilt even though she was telling the truth. "How 'bout I teach you something else?" She compromised, getting to her feet and dusting off her shorts. "Here, watch."

She moved over to the side of her house and planted one foot against the wall. A few seconds later, she had strolled up the side and turned to Naruto with a grin. As expected, the blond was staring at her with a mix of awe and envy.

"Show me, show me!" He jumped to his feet as well, scampered over and stood under her. "How d'ya do that? I've seen grown-up ninja walk sideways like that but I dunno how they do it. Ya have ta show me!"

Sakura laughed and proceeded to spend the rest of the afternoon teaching Naruto how to walk up the wall. It was just as hard for him this time around as it was when he was twelve, but instead of berating and ignoring him as she once did, Sakura tuck to encouragement and tops and by the time evening came around, Naruto was tired and a little bruised but he could reach the halfway point and stuck there without falling.

It was almost six when Sakura felt a chakra signal deliberately flare nearby. It was muted, as all ninja tend to do when off-duty and Sakura automatically stepped in front of Naruto even as she whirled to face the garden fence.

Uchiha Fugaku was standing on the other side, and though Sakura hastily stilled the motion, she could tell that the Clan Head had caught the instinctive twitch her hand made for the hidden kunai in her clothes. She couldn't tell if it was approval or something else that flickered through the man's eyes.

It was impolite to not acknowledge a Clan Head so Sakura bowed her head politely. She had long since decided never to bow fully to anyone save her Hokage. Tsunade and Uzumaki Naruto were the only two she would ever bow down to. Sarutobi as well, but only to an extent.

She saw Fugaku's brow furrow ever-so-slightly but didn't linger as she turned back to Naruto who was gasping for breath on the ground, not having noticed anything amiss yet.

"Naruto," She drew his attention and he seemed to spot the sobriety in her eyes because he sat up attentively right away. "Could you bring our plates back inside and then tell my parents that Uchiha Fugaku-sama is here?"

Naruto looked around Sakura almost winced at the blatant way his eyes widened when they landed on Fugaku. She really should teach him how to be subtler in his actions. Then again, Naruto and subtle wasn't something that one usually saw together in one sentence unless the words 'is not' was in-between.

To his credit, Naruto didn't flinch from the Clan Head's cool gaze, deliberately holding it with an edge of defiance in his stance before he turned to Sakura. "Are you sure, Sakura-chan?" He asked anxiously. "I think you parents will hear if I yell loud enough."

Sakura quirked a smile but shook her head. "I'll be fine. Go on."

She waited until Naruto had disappeared inside the house before moving to the closed gate. Fugaku met her there, inclined his head with all the impassive cordiality of an Uchiha upbringing. He didn't smile, but Sakura didn't expect him to, so she simply looked timidly up at him and opened the gate to let him in.

"Good evening, Uchiha-sama," Sakura greeted. "Are you here to see my parents?"

Fugaku nodded. "Yes, I wish to speak to them about yesterday's incident." He glanced down at her as they walked up the path before continuing stiffly, "And I believe I owe you my gratitude for saving my son."

That was as close to a thank you Sakura would ever receive and she accepted it with good grace, nodding silently as her father stepped outside, eyes wary and almost scared, not of Fugaku, but of what the Clan Head's visit implied.

For the most part, civilian children who wanted to become ninja applied to the Academy when they were six. It was technically harder for them to graduate much less advance through the ranks since they had shinobi backing, be it an individual or a clan; but imperatively there was no one to really teach them outside of school.

On occasion, when a civilian particularly stood out in the Academy, a clan might take an interest in them and nominated them for a fast-track program. Even rarer, a civilian child may be nominated for an early admission or for said program before even entering the Academy, and that was what Sakura was aiming for.

She was somewhat confused as to why Uchiha Fugaku himself had come instead of sending a lesser Clan member, and not a little pensive at what being associated with the Uchiha Clan may entail; but, nevertheless, Sakura kept quiet and listened to her father when he told her to go upstairs.

She did go up the stairs but only to the top step. Naruto's blue eyes blinked down at her from where she was sitting – on the second-floor landing – and she placed a finger to her lips before motioning for him to join her. He grinned and crept over to her side and the two of them huddled together to eavesdrop. She made sure to only suppress her chakra to a certain level so Fugaku would still sense her – eavesdropping was normally impolite but she was aiming to impress the Clan Head – and then sat down to listen in on the conversation.

It was both a satisfying and guilt-inducing discussion.

 **~E~**

Kizashi started off the conversation with a grave demeanour and a heavy heart. "Uchiha-sama, how may we help you?"

Beside him, his wife shifted just a little. Clearly, she didn't want to help their guest at all. If Fugaku noticed, he did not say.

Instead, he levelled Kizashi with a stern gaze. "Haruno-san, I am sure my wife had informed you of yesterday's events. Your daughter saved my saved my son's life and for that, I am grateful."

Here, he paused to inclined his head in the barest of thanks. Kizashi was not a violent man but he had to hold back the urge to lash out and maybe throttle the Clan Head. He didn't because that would get him arrested at best and killed at worst, so he simply nodded back instead.

"It has come to my attention, however, that your daughter is quite capable at defending herself and others for a child of five," Fugaku continued, and Kizashi tensed further. "She showed skills yesterday that, quite frankly, puts her on the level of a prodigy."

Kizashi forced his voice to remain calm as spoke. He knew why Fugaku was here; he didn't want the man to beat around the bush any more than he already had. "You want my daughter," He concluded in a flat voice, ignoring the way Mebuki flinched next to him. "She's five, and you want to take her and make her a killer."

Fugaku's eyes narrowed and his voice became frosty. Apparently, he'd gotten the hint and wasn't going to prevaricate any longer either. "She has enormous potential. It would be a complete waste to allow her to stagnate."

Kizashi narrowed his eyes with borderline hostility. "For you or for her?" He countered quietly, a hint of bitterness entering his words. "If she wanted to wait until she's six or if she doesn't want to become a kunoichi at all, will you leave her alone?"

Fugaku's eyes flashed and he ignored Kizashi's query. "She wishes to be a kunoichi," He said instead. "There is no point in pondering possibilities that will never come to pass. Having tied to a clan, especially the Uchiha Clan, is an honour and it will smooth her career path that much more."

"You think very highly of your clan, Uchiha-sama," Kizashi said, and he was careful to keep his words neutral.

Fugaku nodded sharply, his features hardening even further. "Of course. We are a proud and strong clan."

Kizashi said nothing to refute this. He probably couldn't without offending the Clan Head. Instead, his mind strayed back to Fugaku's offer. On one hand, he hated the fact that the man would do almost anything to pull his daughter into the shinobi world as quickly as possible. Even if he said no now, Fugaku would probably pull strings with the Council or something equally underhanded to get at Sakura and Kizashi was only a civilian; he stood no chance.

But on the other hand, he knew Sakura wanted to be a kunoichi; it had been known but unspoken fact in their household for months, and if his daughter was going to enter the Academy one way or the other, at least, if he agreed here, then it would be on their terms and he could make sure Sakura would not be indebted to the Uchiha if and when she took the offer. His little girl was the one who saved Fugaku's son after all; the Uchihas owed her, not the other way around.

"I would like to talk to my family, about this in private," Kizashi said at last. "In the end, it will be Sakura's choice. Perhaps we can give you an answer in a week's time?" He worded it like a question but his eyes challenged Fugaku.

The man may be a Clan Head but Sakura was still his daughter and he'd be damned if he let anyone completely walk over him when it came to one of the two people he cherished more than anything in the world.

Fugaku knew he had won for the most part and he inclined again in acceptance. "Very well; I will await you answer a week from now."

After Kizashi closed the door behind the Clan Head, he leaned against it and wished he was deaf because he did not want to hear his wife cry.

He glanced up and saw his daughter descending the stairs, Naruto a step behind her, and he knew they both had heard the entire conversation. They were holding hands and both looked anxious, but Sakura was not scared at all. Just determined.

Kizashi wondered when his little girl grew up. She was only five and because of work, they did not even celebrate her birthday beyond a few gifts and a small cake. She had already assured them that she was quite happy with what they gave her but yesterday's incident weighed heavily on everyone's mind and Kizashi knew that they all went to bed with restless thoughts.

Sakura was growing up and Kizashi knew he couldn't stop her.

 **~M~**

"Hello, Crow-san,"

It was three days after Fugaku's visit and Sakura was walking to the park where she usually met Naruto in the afternoon. It hadn't escaped her notice that an ANBU had been following her ever since she left her house.

She had met Crow before, both in her current time and in her own timeline. The chakra signal of Shiranui Genma was very familiar to her after all the times she had healed him and gone on missions with him and fought beside him.

Naruto had also introduced them – _Sakura-chan, this is Crow-chan_ ; Sakura almost laughed at that – after one of the times when even Sakura's scowls couldn't hold off a civilian's harsh words and Genma interfered on their behalf.

Genma had never stood in plain sight so blatantly though, none of the ANBU had, so, curious, Sakura approached him.

Genma nodded, peering down at her from behind his mask as she fidgeted in front of him. "You feeling okay from the attack?" He finally asked.

Sakura stifled a giggle. It was technically against ANBU protocol to speak in anything but a bland tone of voice so nothing would be given away. Genma was making an effort to sound like his usual self, most likely to put her more at ease.

"I'm fine," She nodded instead, smiling warmly at the masked shinobi. "Thanks for asking."

Sakura got the feeling that Genma was smiling too before his eyes flickered to the package Sakura was clutching to her chest.

"Some clothes for Naruto," Sakura answered the unspoken question. "Kaa-san says no one should be limited to only one choice of clothing."

"And how are you going to get the brat to take them?" He mused.

They started walking again, the senbon-wielder slowing his steps to match Sakura's shorter pace.

"Tell him my mum got them as a gift but they don't quite fit me and she doesn't want to return them," Sakura replied promptly before adding with a fierce look, "And he'll take them if he knows what's good for him."

Sakura knew Genma was biting back laughter but he only nodded and they continued on in comfortable silence. He left when Sakura reached the park, silent as a shadow as he disappeared from view once more.

"Sakura-chan!"

Sakura looked up to see Naruto running towards her, arms flailing with enthusiasm. "Hello, Naruto," She smiled affectionately at him. He really was too cute at four.

"Sakura-chan, c'mon!" He grabbed her hand and didn't even ask about the package before he started pulling her forward. It was a testament to how excited he was about whatever he wanted to show Sakura.

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked jogging after the blond.

"We're gonna go see the old man!" Naruto announced; and Sakura's eyes widened. "He says he wants ta meet ya and I told him I'd take ya to see him!"

"What- wait, Naruto!" Sakura was ignored and dragged across Konoha to the Hokage Tower. She didn't know what to expect or what she was going to tell the Sandaime. It was an oversight on her part; she really should have asked Naruto what he had told Sarutobi.

Sakura just hoped her mind would be quick enough to come up with the necessary lies.

 **~P~**

Sarutobi was just as kind as Sakura remembered he was from her short interactions with him but there was a piercing glint in his eyes that put her on guard. There was a reason the man was revered as the God of Shinobi.

She took the seat he offered beside Naruto and they both listened to the blond babble for a while. There was an underlying tension in the room, though Naruto seemed completely oblivious to it.

"Naruto," Sarutobi finally cut in mildly. "Perhaps we should let Sakura-chan speak? You haven't forgotten about her, have you?"

Naruto looked indignant even though they all knew the Hokage was only teasing. "Of course not!" He turned to Sakura with a wide grin. "I told Jiji about what Sasuke's dad said! You're so lucky! You get ta enter the Academy early!"

Sakura quickly glanced at the Hokage and didn't even have to pretend to look nervous because she _was_ nervous. She knew of the rift between the Sandaime and the Uchiha Clan; what did Sarutobi think of this new development?

"I have heard about what you did," Sarutobi said, his head tilting a little as he watched her. "Your skills are quite powerful for someone so young."

It was a test and Sakura pulled a bashful smile onto her face as she responded. "I had to save Sasuke. I'd do anything to protect my friends," She told him, and it was the honest-to-God truth because she swore the same thing when she was twelve and fighting for her friends' survival.

It was the right thing to say but Sarutobi continued, "That was very admirable, Sakura-chan. Where did you learn the techniques, you used?"

Sakura blinked up at the Hokage with big innocent eyes. "At the library. There are scrolls there. A librarian told me they were really basic for older Academy students and Genin but they might be too hard for me. I read them anyway and I learned loads! Mostly in medical ninjutsu though. The scrolls described what chakra was and a little on how to use it," She paused as if deep in thought, and then added brightly, "Gathering chakra is my hands is really easy!"

The Sandaime didn't question it; for someone born with perfect chakra control, chakra-enhanced strength was second nature.

"And Shunshin?" Sarutobi pressed casually.

Sakura blinked again and tilted her head in confused manner, "Shunshin?"

The Hokage observed her carefully as he clarified, "How did you move to protect Sasuke-kun so quickly?"

Sakura's brow furrowed before she let her expression clear. "Oh, the Ninja Dash?"

Sarutobi looked amused. "Yes, Sakura-chan."

Sakura shrugged. "I saw some adult ninja do it and I saw the Ram seal they used so I just tried it. It took me a few weeks but I finally managed a short distance," She stopped again at the stunned look on the Hokage's face and deliberately mistook it for disapproval. "Should I have waited until I was a grown-up ninja? I'll stop from now on if I shouldn't do it yet."

Sarutobi quickly shook his head. "No, no, it's not against the law. But to be able to pull of Shunshin at your age; it's very impressive, Sakura-chan."

Sakura broke into a tentative smile and inwardly hoped the lies were believable enough and remarkable enough to mark her down as a prodigy.

The Hokage didn't continue his questioning though and his attention moved on to something else.

"Will you accept the Uchiha Clan's offer then, Sakura-chan?" Sarutobi's voice was thoughtful and Sakura shifted a little in her seat.

"I want to become a kunoichi and I think it's a good idea," She blurted out, carefully phrasing her words. "'Cause Uchiha-sama is indebted to me for saving Sasuke, and this way, we'll be even."

She saw Sarutobi's eyes sharpen even as she finished. She had just demonstrated her intellect without being too blatant about it. Her deduction would leave people wondering whether she was simply taking the Uchiha Clan Head's offer at face value or seeing the bigger picture and ensuring that she would not owe the Uchiha Clan in any way after she graduated.

"I see," Sarutobi smiled and his posture relaxed just a little. "Well, we will have to get your parents' permission of course, but the Uchiha Clan will handle any tuition fees. Being represented by a clan means they will pay for any books and scrolls you will need, as well as the weapons you will be learning to use during your time in the Academy. This will continue until you become Genin and start earning your own money."

Sakura nodded. She already knew this but she wanted to find out if she could graduate early like Kakashi and Itachi. "How many years will I need to study at the Academy?"

Sarutobi frowned a little. "Well, it depends on how fast you can learn all the material. The average student starts at the age of six and graduates in four to six years. There have been exceptions of course, but it is hard work."

Sakura nodded. Her memory was better than most, with the exception of Shikamaru and Sasuke's Sharingan, she was not willing to spend four tedious years slogging through material she had already learned once before. It would have been absolutely pathetic if she could not graduate within a year.

"What about me, Jiji?" Naruto piped up beside her. "I wanna go with Sakura-chan to the Academy too! She's been teaching me loads, not just throwing kunai! I can read and write better and I know more words and everything!"

Regret crossed Sarutobi's face and Sakura knew he was thinking of the Council. She had to deal with them more than once in her own time with Tsunade and she knew it was no picnic.

"I'm afraid you can't go yet, Naruto," Sarutobi said gently. "You're only four; surely you can wait a few more years?"

Naruto's face fell but Sakura could hear the unspoken thoughts in Hokage's words. Even in a few years, if the Council was completely adamant on being against it, they could still refuse his entry. They would certainly not allow him to start early.

Sakura wanted to storm into the Council room and yell at all of them for their incompetence (she supposed, the be fair, not all of them; mostly just the Elders and the civilian representatives and the son-of-a-bitch Danzo) but besides being comical, it would only do more damage than good.

As Naruto continued wheedling, Sakura thought about Fugaku's offer and his debt to her. She had never wanted to become a Hokage but she remembered the political aspects of her shishou's job. Being the woman's apprentice, Sakura was bound to pick up on some things.

She glanced over at her surrogate brother who looked increasingly upset and was still holding her hand in a death grip. They both knew that if she entered the Academy, she was going to have much less time to spend with Naruto and the blond had always harboured a fear of abandonment.

Sakura only hesitated for a moment longer, weighing the pros and cons, and the suggested timidly, "I could get Uchiha-sama to nominate Naruto too. I'll tell him that's my condition for taking his offer."

Naruto gaped at her, disbelief warring with hope and gratitude, and while Sakura flashed a smile at him in a reassuring gesture, it was Sarutobi's reaction she was most interested in.

The Hokage stared at her with a small frown on his face, concern lurking behind the contemplative expression.

"A clan offering to nominate you is an honour, Sakura-chan, not a bargain," Sarutobi finally said gravely, his eyes drilled into Sakura's own. "It would be disrespectful to do anything other than accept or decline."

Sakura tightened her own grip on Naruto's hand and straightened in her seat, her chin jutting out defiantly. She had come back not only to make sure her friends had a future but also to see that they were happy. If she didn't start changing things, her brutally bloody timeline would still come to pass. She had made up her mind. Nothing would stop her from seeing it through now.

"I saved Sasuke," She pointed out. "And if I have to, I'll do it again and again without any payment, but Uchiha-sama offered his Clan's backing after that, not before. It _is_ an honour, which means we'll be even. He is returning the favour and I can pick what that favour will be, can't I?"

Sarutobi had wiped all expression from his face and was now staring at her with neutral gaze. "You could, but it would put you in their debt. Getting another child into the Academy when he has yet to show reason for early enrolment is brazen. They will expect you to repay them is some way in the future."

Sakura knew the Sandaime was also thinking the lengths Fugaku would have to go to convince the Council if he agreed but she wouldn't let Naruto down now that she had gotten his hopes up; she couldn't when he was looking at her like she was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Inner took the time to point out to her that she probably was.

"That's okay," She decided out loud. "One favour to get Naruto in. He's more than worth it."

For a moment, the closed off expression lifted from the Hokage's face and she saw approval shining through before it was quickly tucked away again. "Well, Naruto? If Sakura manages to get Sasuke-kun's father to agree, will you promise to work hard?"

Naruto didn't reply with words right away. Instead, he tackled Sakura in an exuberant hug, wrapping his arms around her and hooked his chin over her shoulder. Sakura hugged him back just as tightly when she felt her shirt getting wet. Naruto wasn't usually one to cry.

"I'll work hard, Sakura-chan, I promise!" Naruto swore when he finally pulled back. He roughly dragged his forearm over his eyes to dash away any remaining tears before staring back at her with a determined gaze. "I won't waste this chance. I'll study all day if I have to."

Sakura had the feeling that Naruto couldn't study _all day_ no matter what she did but she knew he was grateful beyond words and very happy and that was enough for her.

"I'll make it happen," She said, and she couldn't help the wide smile that spread over her face when Naruto believed her without question.

 **~E~**

The week was up and Sakura stood stiff-backed in front of the Uchiha compound in simple but respectable clothes. Her parents wanted to come with her but Sakura insisted on doing it alone. She wanted to seem a little more grown-up and they were worried enough without knowing she would be beholding herself to the Uchiha after today.

The guards at the gate were obviously expecting her because they gave her a stiff nod and an unimpressed once-over before waving her in. Another Uchiha led her up the path without a word to what looked like the main house and Sakura would admit to a little relief when she saw Mikoto stepping outside to greet her.

"Hello, Sakura-chan," The woman smiled warmly at her and took her hand as if she had simply come over to play with Sasuke again. "Come in. My husband is in the sitting room. How have you been?"

"Fine, thank you," Sakura answered, but her smiled almost faltered when she stepped into the living room and found not only Fugaku but Itachi and Sasuke as well. Itachi was standing by the window, silent and still as a statue, while Sasuke was sitting on the couch. He brightened when she stepped into the room but his father's presence seemed to prevent his usually behaviour because he stayed seated, posture absolutely perfect.

Fugaku pinned her with a cool gaze and greeted her with stiff nod. "Sakura-san," He began, and Sakura wondered if Mikoto forced him to use her name. "Thank you for coming. If you would like some privacy, we can retire to my study."

Sakura shook her head. She didn't really mind who heard what she had to say. "Here is alright, Uchiha-sama," Sakura took the seat across from Fugaku and caught a glimpse of Mikoto bustling out of the room again, presumable for some tea.

"Your answer then?" Fugaku prompted without delay.

Sakura had rehearsed what she was going to say about a million times ever since she had made up her mind. She was probably going to offend Fugaku no matter how she worded her decision; the question, however, was how much.

"Thank you very much for the offer, Uchiha-sama," Sakura started, "I would be honoured to accept. But I would like to make one request." She paused and determinedly ignored the stilted silence that descended on the room. At least she hadn't said _condition_.

"What is this request?" Fugaku finally asked, sounding even more frigid than he did when he was talking to her parents

Sakura looked straight into the Clan Head's eyes and did no waver. She was not afraid of him and she wanted him to know that it had been a long time since she had been afraid of anyone. Her only fear was failure; failure to fulfil the only reason she was here in this time.

"I have a friend I don't want to leave behind," She said. She had decided on a mixture of childishness and maturity. "He also wants to become a ninja and he has already started training. It would mean a great deal to me if the Uchiha Clan can push his enrolment through as well."

The subtle _we are now even and I will owe the Uchiha Clan a favour_ was implied in her last words. There was only give and take in the shinobi world and even children understood that on some level. She knew she had gotten her meaning across.

Fugaku stared at her long and hard and the silence was almost stifling. She sensed Mikoto in the doorway behind her but didn't turn to look, instead keeping her gaze locked on the Clan Head in front of her.

"You are speaking of the Uzumaki boy, I assume," Fugaku voiced at last. She could tell what he was thinking.

Her head dipped. "Yes. His studying habits can use a little work but he is only a four-year-old boy," She paused, and then added boldly, "He is almost as good as Sasuke throwing a kunai and shuriken."

That was a double-edged sword. On one hand, Fugaku would possibly die before admitting to anyone outside of his immediate family that his sons were anything less than the best that everyone expected the Clan Head's sons to be. On the other hand, she knew Sasuke was nowhere near as good as Itachi was at four, and at least a part of Fugaku considered his second son to be the spare. But Sasuke was still much better than average and that was what Sakura was banking on.

She saw Sasuke shift in his seat and felt a little bad about dragging him into it. She knew he didn't like being compared but she also knew that, for some reason, Sasuke didn't really mind when it was he that was doing the comparing and it was Naruto she was comparing him to. They were the same even in her timeline; she had never understood it.

"But he is not as good as you," Fugaku said abruptly.

Sakura was momentarily thrown. She didn't expect this to come up in any of her imaginary scenarios. At the moment, she didn't even know which 'he' the Clan Head was referring to.

"I can only do my best," Sakura phrased her answer diplomatically. _When in doubt,_ Tsunade always said, _never take a side. Don't let yourself get trapped or you're screwed._ "Just like Sasuke and Naruto."

There, a non-offensive answer, a reply that didn't make her sound weak, and just a touch of defiant reproach all rolled into one response.

Something flickered through Fugaku's eyes and Sakura waited with bated breath. In the end, it all depended on how highly the man thought of her. Ninja did not flaunt their skills. They prided themselves on their subtlety. Sakura had been plenty subtle throughout the entire conversation. She just hoped it was enough.

"Have you looked into the Academy's curriculum?"

The question was completely out-of-the-blue and Sakura probably was going to get whiplash before she left.

"Yes," She confirmed, not really seeing the harm in admitting that much. "It teaches the basics that are required for students to become Genin."

"Correct," Fugaku leaned forward slightly. "I have seen your skill in the practical area but that is not all that makes up a ninja. By your estimate, how long would it take you to graduate from the Academy?"

Fugaku was testing her, of that she had no doubt. He was asking her without words if she considered herself worthy of the trouble Fugaku would have to go through to get Naruto into the Academy. In the long run, it did not matter if the Clan Head believed she could live up to expectations if she herself did not. Yet she wasn't sure why he was asking after her intellect. Surely, she had already proven herself in that area in their current verbal sparring? Nevertheless, she did not lie when she gave him her response.

"One year," Sakura replied without hesitation. She was neither boasting nor was she overestimating herself.

Even Itachi shifted at her declaration and Sasuke was staring at her with wide eyes. Sakura didn't look away from Fugaku and didn't glance over at Itachi. Everyone in the room knew she would break the Uchiha Genius' record and miss the famous Copy-nin's by only a year if she could turn her claim into reality.

The Clan Head had raised an eyebrow at her but he did not voice whether he believed her or not. Instead, he straightened and leaned back. Sakura knew the conversation was nearing its end. She was suddenly anxious because the man had yet to give her _his_ answer.

"The new term begins on April nineteenth," Fugaku informed her calmly even as he raised to his feet. "I will have someone deliver two sets of books to your household for yourself and the boy."

It took Sakura a moment to realise the Clan Head had given his approval and she could help the genuine smile that spread over her face as she ended up beaming at him. Fugaku looked temporarily taken aback but recovered in record time and nodded curtly as she thanked him. They never did get around to the tea but Mikoto had already whipped it out of sight.

Sasuke walked with her all the way back to the front gates but he was frowning almost worriedly.

"Something wrong, Sasuke?" Sakura tilted her head at him.

Sasuke offered a very un-Uchiha-like shrug and stuffed his hands into his pockets. The Sasuke from her time made the action look like he had a stick up his ass; however, this Sasuke only looked like he was sulking. She supposed that it was an improvement.

"You and Naruto are going to the Academy together," He finally muttered, and Sakura could hear the jealousy in his voice.

"We'll still come visit," Sakura reassured. The main clans' children could be recommended for the Academy at any time by their parents or clan heads if they showed enough aptitude. It would be up to Mikoto and Fugaku to make that decision for Sasuke.

"Sasuke-chan, it's almost time for dinner," Mikoto's voice made them both look up and they saw her approach them with Itachi by her side. "Head inside to wash up."

Sasuke nodded dutifully and waved halfheartedly to Sakura before scampering away. Sakura didn't have time to worry about him before Mikoto was speaking again.

"You'll work hard at the Academy, won't you, Sakura-chan?" Mikoto started sternly but her eyes were smiling.

Sakura nodded vigorously. "Of course, Mikoto-san. And Naruto will too; I'll make sure of it."

Mikoto laughed. "I'm sure you will." She had seen Sakura tutoring Naruto; the blond had long since learned not to argue with her when Sakura deemed it time for him to study.

"Well then, Itachi-kun will walk you home," She glanced at her son who nodded woodenly in confirmation.

Sakura didn't know whether to be exasperated or horrified. "Oh no, that's very kind of you but it really isn't necessary- "

"Nonsense," Mikoto waved a hand. "It is getting dark and no girl should walk home alone. Itachi-kun will accompany you."

Two minutes later, Sakura found herself making her way home with a stoic Itachi beside her and a very uncomfortable silence between them.

Somewhere up there, she just knew the gods were laughing at her.

Sakura had never been one for complete silence when in the company of someone else so by the time they were halfway home, she grasped at a random topic and started talking.

"Sasuke's talked about you," Sakura ventured a glance at the elder Uchiha sibling. "I hear you're going to try for Chuunin soon?"

Itachi nodded mutely and Sakura mentally scowled in her head. She didn't know if he was intentionally refusing to talk to her or if he really was as socially inept as her time's Sasuke once told her. But it was her own fault for falling into the amateur trap of asking a 'yes or no' question.

"Sasuke is a really fast learner. Uchiha-sama must be very proud of him." Sakura tried again. "I really wish we could go to school together."

There was a short pause before Itachi nodded his head once. It was an open statement that he generally agreed on all fronts, but regardless, Sakura ground her teeth together. This bastard was worse than Sasuke, Gaara, _and_ Neji put together.

'So, that's your game, huh?" She fumed.

"I know you're still a Genin but how are you finding your missions?" She asked sweetly. "The Hokage probably gives you tougher ones than normal Genin so how are you handling them?"

Sakura grinned smugly inside her head and then she almost fell over when Itachi shrugged.

 _Shrugged!_

And the worst part of it was she actually understood what the shrug translated to, _Okay; it's no particular trouble. I could handle harder_.

God dammit, she had spent way too much time in Sasuke's company.

By the time her house came into view, she had fired off three more question, all answered with a single raised eyebrow, a sideways tilt of his head, and a slight frown, respectively. To her great irritation, she completely understood all three replies.

She all but stomped forward to unlatch the gate but spun around to face Itachi as she closed it, finally giving in to the urge and scowling fiercely up at him.

Itachi blinked once. _What?_

Sakura mentally screamed at her brain to stop interpreting Uchiha-ese.

Outwardly, she jabbed a threatening finger at him and let her temper out.

"Stick around, Uchiha!" She almost winced at the high-pitched squeak her five-year-old self still spoke in. God, she couldn't wait until puberty hit. "I'm going to get you to talk if it's the last thing I do!"

Without waiting for a reply (she just knew it was going to be two raised eyebrows which would translate to, _Really? I'd like to see you try_.) and not caring that she was being very rude to the prised first son of the man who was sponsoring her, Sakura spun on her heels and talked up the path to her house, still fuming.

Had she looked back, perhaps she would've caught the slight upward twitch of Itachi's mouth as he waited until she was inside before taking his leave.

 **~S~**

Fugaku didn't know whether to be impressed or insulted after Haruno Sakura took her leave. He just knew he couldn't seem to find any of the anger he usually experienced when someone challenged him. He just felt…mildly amused.

To be able to learn Shunshin and incorporate chakra-enhanced strength into her fighting style at her age did not only take prodigal talent but also a quick mind so Fugaku deliberately drew Sakura into a verbal showdown. He expected her to, at best, butt heads with him a few times, but acquiesce to his authority in the end.

She surprised him.

Not only did she dare to make a _request_ (and he knew it was a condition; it was very clear to him that she would have turned his offer down had he denied Naruto's entry) but she was also good enough to challenge him with double-sided confrontation.

So, he listened to the unspoken words and heard the silent promise she had made to return the debt she now owed the Uchiha Clan – the _Clan_ , not him, because her request would politically affect the Uchiha as a whole. He saw her skill with diplomacy and her unwillingness to back down. And yes, he definitely took notice of the way she reprimanded him for his treatment of Sasuke.

It left him incredulous of her audacity and he challenged her in return. How good did _she_ think she was? It was a future favour from a mere five-year-old civilian girl who had the potential to become great but wouldn't necessarily reach that far worth the difficulty he would have with the Clan Elders and the Council?

And she did not hesitate to say _yes_.

The girl could simply be overconfident of her own abilities of course, but Fugaku had seen his fair share of misplaced arrogance. The child showed none of that, and there was even something about her that he couldn't quite place but drew him in and made him willing to take a gamble on her and her future.

A knock on his study door made him turn and Fugaku blinked when Sasuke stepped into the room. His second son rarely visited when he was working here.

"Otou-sama," Sasuke nodded and Fugaku noted the determined air around him. He was carrying a few scrolls in his hands as well as a set of kunai. "Please enrol me in the Academy for the upcoming term."

Fugaku stared, his features carefully blank. This was new. Not only was Sasuke speaking with the sort of formality Fugaku had been trying to drill into the young boy for a few years now, he was also speaking up for himself for the first time in his young life.

"Oh?" Fugaku raised an eyebrow. "You believe yourself qualified?"

Sasuke nodded sharply. His hands tightened around the scrolls but that was the only sign of outward apprehension. Fugaku was slightly impressed.

"I have been working on the first-year material," Sasuke continued, motioning at the scrolls. "And my aim with kunai has improved."

Fugaku glanced down at the scrolls and weapons again. He didn't really need proof as Sasuke was obviously prepared to give him. The boy would have never come to him with anything less.

"Why all of a sudden?" He asked instead even though he knew the answer.

Sasuke squared his shoulders and his chin jutted out just a little. Fugaku made a mental note to correct him on that later.

"I want to study at the Academy with Sakura and Naruto," He said with uncharacteristic firmness. He hesitated for just a second before confessing, "I do better with them."

Fugaku knew he should have reprimanded Sasuke for this. Uchihas did not depend on anyone outside of the Clan. But he was not blind and he saw how much happier Sasuke had been over the past few months. He had also caught the occasional glimpses of his son in one of their private training grounds, practising by himself instead of following Itachi like a lost puppy and begging him for training. Sasuke had gotten new incentive and his son had just confirmed his suspicions of where he found said motivation.

"You will not be able to graduate in a year," Fugaku said coolly, and he regretted his words, just a little for just a moment when Sasuke flinched minutely.

But just as quickly, Sasuke looked up at him again instead of sulking or getting upset and nodded reluctantly instead.

"I know," Sasuke acknowledged. "But I'll catch up to her one day and I'll still be able to study with Naruto."

He stopped and stared back stubbornly as if he planned on enrolling himself if Fugaku refused.

Fugaku could admit to more than a little pride.

"Very well," He nodded dismissively and turned back to the papers on his desk. "I will enrol you along with the other two. Now, go to bed."

He could almost hear Sasuke's joy but didn't reply when his son thanked him and all but skipped out the door.

As the door closed behind Sasuke, who spoke in stilted tones to his own father and vice versa and didn't seem to expect anything other than the little recognition he had been given, Fugaku wondered if maybe Sakura could be right.

 **~T~**

Whoever accused Itachi of being unobservant had either been living under a rock for the past nine years or was simply too stupid to live.

Itachi was particularly perceptive when it came to his brother, whom he was very protective of, so when he returned from a mission and Sasuke was not there to greet him, he immediately got suspicious.

It wasn't long after that that he found out why Sasuke no longer followed him around. His mother was happy enough to tell him of Sasuke's two 'best friends', but when Itachi mentioned them in casual conversation, his brother was surprisingly reluctant to talk about them.

It took Itachi a few days and his mother's sympathetic explanation for him to realise that, for the first time in his life, Sasuke didn't want to share something with him.

He got concerned – _curious_ , his mind supplied helpfully and not at all a little annoyed – _jealous_ , his brain snickered – and ended up following Sasuke one day, in secret of course, and finally (sort of) met his little brother's friends.

The village's pariah and a civilian girl…with _pink_ hair. Honestly, who had pink hair? He even checked her parents; her father had faded maroon hair in the shape of a star (of all things) and her mother had a neat golden brown.

But he soon forgot this oddity when he saw them practising. Sasuke had gotten better and the blond boy wasn't far behind. But it was the civilian girl who caught his interest.

She was beyond both boys' level. Her aim was excellent and she was even good enough and patient enough to teach her friends.

So, he followed – _stalked_ , the voice in his head chirped cheerfully. The voice he had somehow adopted had begun to sound a lot like his cousin, Shisui's voice and if it continued, Itachi thought he might just have to go and hunt his cousin down and kill him. Shisui had clearly cast some sort of jutsu on him for him to have such an unproductive and invasive sound disrupt his day to day life.

While Itachi continued to study the girl, just to see what else she could do had proven fruitful, since he was stunned when she walked up walls and practised Shunshin in the privacy of her backyard. She was as good as he was at her age and he didn't quite know what to make of it.

As the weeks went by, Sasuke continued to keep his friends to himself and Itachi continued to observe the girl. He learned her name – Sakura – and idly thought her parents were somewhat unimaginative. Even he could've thought of a better name, and Shisui always said he had the imagination of a rock.

Still, Itachi didn't understand why Sasuke didn't want him to meet his friends. It wasn't as if Itachi was going to steal them.

But the day he sensed a hostile presence and reached his compound's gates in time to see Sakura protect her brother without a single care for herself, he thought he began to see why Sasuke was so possessive of them. If Naruto had even half of Sakura's protectiveness, Itachi could admit that his brother was very lucky to find two such people. Hanging on to them was only logical.

He fully agreed with his father's decision on backing Sakura and almost, _almost_ , gaped when Sakura challenged his father's authority right in the middle of his own home. When his father capitulated to her pleasantly – _demanded_ , Itachi was impressed and fascinated in equal measure.

He didn't even blink in protest when his mother asked him to walk Sakura home.

Itachi had seen Sakura interact with Sasuke and Naruto and knew how much of a temper she had, so he decided to see how far he could go before she blew up at him.

He was increasingly amused when Sakura shot different questions at him in an attempt to get him to talk. He noted with some interest that while he was frustrated with his soundless replies, it was only because he wouldn't give a verbal response and not because she didn't understand.

By the time they reached her home, she was spitting mad and Itachi very nearly chuckled when she broke at last and raged at him with a five-year-old's fury.

He thought Sakura was the most intriguing person he had come across in a long time and he wondered how far he could push her until she finally succeeded in what she had promised.

He believed it would be rather fun to find out.

* * *

AN: This took a little while longer than the others but I hope you enjoyed it. I still have another 3 more chapters until I take over.

Disclaimer: This story is adopted and originally written by cywsaphyre


	4. Chapter 4: Friendship

Disclaimer: This story was adopted and all credit original author, cywsaphyre

* * *

"How is my favourite cousin this bright fine morning?"

Shisui grinned when Itachi twitched like he was about to fall out of the tree he was perched in but caught himself just in time. His little cousin may have been a genius but Shisui wasn't known for his Shunshin for nothing. He took pride in the fact that he could still surprise Itachi on a regular basis.

"Shisui," Itachi acknowledged curtly but, as usual, made no attempt to start a conversation.

Actually, on closer observation, Shisui wondered why his cousin seemed a little tense at the moment. And now that he thought about it, what in the name of Konoha was Itachi doing in a tree in the civilian sector at seven in the morning?

"Itachi, what are you doing?" Naturally curious, Shisui studies his cousin closely before glancing around. He had always been an early riser, much like Itachi in that respect, and was on his way to get some dango when he picked up his cousin's chakra signature.

Letting his senses probe his surroundings, Shisui found his attention drawn to the neat-looking house several feet away. He looked back at Itachi again and found the younger Uchiha's gaze fixed determinedly in the opposite direction.

Well, Itachi was practically shouting for Shisui to investigate.

Clambering easily up to the branch Itachi was crouching on, Shisui peered at the normal house again and blinked when he found himself with a clear view of the backyard; and a…

"Itachi," Shisui turned to gape at his cousin as a horrifying thought snaked into his mind. "Are you _stalking little girls now?_ "

Itachi's head snapped around and he glared irritably at Shisui without ever shifting his expression. "I am not stalking _anyone_. What I do in my own time is none of your business."

Shisui stared at Itachi for a few seconds longer as he tried to figure out what the hell was going on. He hadn't see his cousin in several months now having only returned yesterday from a mission in Kumo – and after the whole Hyuuga disaster, is wasn't a picnic – but he recalled that Itachi was usually training at this time. Unless he had a mission, Itachi was almost _always_ training.

So, what had changed?

Carefully, Shisui focussed on the pink-haired girl doing katas in the yard again. She could only be five at most and a civilian child to boot; why was Itachi so interested in her? Looking closer, he noted the smooth, practiced movements of the exercises she was going through. She was quite good.

"She's pretty good for a kid," He commented out loud. "Who is she?"

Itachi glowered at him, clearly unhappy that Shisui was cutting in on his…whatever he was doing, but he answered after Shisui maintained an expectant look on his face. "Haruno Sakura. She's Sasuke's friend."

Shisui's eyebrow shot up briefly in surprise. "Oh? Sasuke-chan's made a new friend? And a girl at that," He grinned again. "Your little brother has got more moves than you do, Itachi."

Itachi almost frowned but retained a blank look while still somehow conveying his displeasure. One day, Shisui really would have liked to have found how he did that.

"So, what, you're here to see if she's a danger to Sasuke?" Shisui couldn't help snickering. "C'mon, Itachi, what is she gonna do? Fangirl him to death?"

Itachi just gave him a deadpan look that unmistakably questioned Shisui's brain capacity. But he didn't look as annoyed anymore; in fact, his cousin looked almost amused.

Shisui got the feeling that he was missing something.

He looked back at the girl again. She really wasn't anything special; above average for a civilian but he had seen shinobi children go through katas like that every day.

Except…

He hadn't completely hidden his chakra like Itachi had, only muted it, and when he shifted and rose so he could sit on the branch above, he caught a set of green eyes flicker in his direction for half a second and knew he, at least, had been spotted.

That was definitely not normal. He may not have concealed himself entirely but children from ninja families twice her age shouldn't have been able to sense him.

"She is entering the Academy in a few weeks," Itachi spoke up and Shisui almost keeled over from shock. He could even recall a time when his cousin had offered information without prompting when it wasn't for a mission. "She will be represented by the Uchiha Clan."

Shisui's eyes widened and he studied the girl more intently. To be represented by their clan, she would have to have gain the approval of their Clan Head. Holding a successful conversation with Itachi when he was at his moodiest was easier than impressing Uchiha Fugaku. Shisui could attest to that; he had tried.

"She must be something else then," Shisui remarked. "What did she do?"

There was a definite smirk on Itachi's face now. Obviously, he was quite smug about knowing something that Shisui was still in the dark about. Shisui didn't know what to make of it either. Itachi usually didn't care about one-upping him.

"She saved Sasuke from a possible abduction," Itachi told him. "She defeated an Iwa missing-nin in the process."

Shisui stare between Itachi and the child in disbelief. "Wait, a little pink-haired girl took down a _missing-nin_?! Any _Iwa_ missing-nin? Those guys are hardcore, I-eat-children-for-breakfast psychos!"

Itachi gave him a thoroughly unimpressed look. "Nevertheless," His cousin intoned, finally turning back to the girl. "She succeeded. She also convinced Otou-sama to enrol Uzumaki Naruto as well, and Sasuke went to him last night and convinced him to admit him too."

Shisui didn't know what stunned him more; the fact that that girl had somehow manipulated their Clan Head into doing what she wanted or the fact that this was the most Itachi had ever said to him at any one time.

He decided to ignore the latter and stick to the former.

"She doesn't have blackmail on our esteemed leader, does she?" Shisui paid no attention to the dark look Itachi shot him.

"She made several good points to Otou-sama," Itachi said stiffly.

Shisui rolled his eyes. "Lighten up, Itachi. I was joking. What about the Uzumaki brat?"

"He is also Sasuke's friend." Itachi informed him curtly.

Huh, back to short answers again. Ah well, Shisui couldn't really expect Itachi to become a chatterbox. That would probably give everyone heart attacks.

"Well," Shisui stood up, dusted off his pants. "I'll leave you to your stalking in peace"

Itachi looked torn between irritation and alarm. "I am not stalking," He intoned flatly. "And where are you going?"

"Aw, do you want me to stick around that much, Tachi-chan?" Shisui cooed, grinning at the lethal glare Itachi shot him. "Don't worry; I'm not going far. But you've gone and stirred up my curiosity. I can't just sit around anymore, can I?"

And before Itachi could stop him, Shisui leaped to the ground and Shunshined into the pink-haired girl's backyard.

He could almost feel Itachi's desire to strangle him.

 **~T~**

Sakura didn't know what to think when she sensed a foreign chakra signature in a nearby tree. She had seen pictures of Uchiha Shisui before so she knew him on sight, and Sasuke had told her once that his older cousin was as un-Uchiha-like as they came.

Still, she didn't expect Shisui to Shunshin into her yard and bound right up to her with a grin and a good-natured greeting.

"Heya!" Shisui dropped into a crouch right in front of her and Sakura didn't know whether to run away or stick the crazy teen with a kunai. She settled on staring warily at him instead.

"I'm Shisui," The teen continued. "I hear you're being represented by the Uchiha Clan; that practically makes us family! Nice to meet you!"

Sakura stared at Shisui and tried to see the Uchiha in him. Except for the looks, she found it impossible.

"I'm Sakura," She mumbled, backing away a little from the teen's proximity. If she hadn't had so much practice dealing with Naruto and Kiba, she would've taken insult and fled the moment Shisui landed in her yard.

"Yeah, I heard," Shisui said with good humour and Sakura flushed a little. Duh, he had already said as much.

She casted around for something else to say and grasped onto what little information she had on him. "You're Shunshin no Shisui?" She ventured.

Shisui nodded, eyes brightening. "That's me. Fastest in the entire Uchiha Clan. Pretty cool, huh?"

Ah, there was the famous Uchiha arrogance, but it was tempered with the teen's natural friendliness and Sakura found herself smiling back despite his uncharacteristic personality.

"I can do Shunshin too," She said instead.

Shisui blinked, obviously surprised. "Oh? Care to show me then?" He pointed to the other end of the yard. "There and back. Let's see how fast you are."

Sakura couldn't help but be pleased that there was no disbelief in Shisui's voice. He could of course had already heard of her Shunshin when she saved Sasuke but most people would still harbour some doubts if they did not actually see it. And she still remembered Sasuke's harsh critiques so it was something of a surprise to meet an Uchiha who didn't sneer first and ask questions never.

Forming a Ram seal, she flickered away, barely letting her feet settle on the ground at the far end of her garden before she flashed back again. She could feel the drain on her chakra but ignored it in favour of blinking up at Shisui, mildly winded but a lot better than when she first started practicing the technique.

Shisui had broke out into an even wider grin and he ruffled her hair with enthusiasm. "That was awesome, Chibi-chan!"

Sakura could stand a lot of things; she had had to what with being Naruto's friend and medic, but she was not going to stand for anyone calling her _Chibi-chan_.

"Don't call me that," She scowled up at the teen, swatting at the hand.

To her surprise, Shisui only chuckled, looking highly amused. "You know, you remind me of Tachi-chan."

Her brain stalled. _Tachi-chan_?

She wondered if Shisui had ever called Itachi 'Tachi-chan' to his face, and then wondered why the teen was still alive because of course Shisui had. The older Uchiha seemed just like Naruto personality-wise.

"You can just call me Sakura," Sakura suggested with a glower.

"Alright, Kura-chan," Shisui said cheerfully.

Sakura twitched. Did this idiot have selective hearing? Besides, no one but Inner called her Kura-chan.

"You'll get faster as your chakra reserves grow," Shisui took no notice of her annoyance. "Maybe you'll even be as fat as me someday."

With that said, he flashed out of sight and Sakura's eyes widened as she tried to followed his speed. Before she could even focus on the teen at the far end of the yard, he was back again, standing beside her with a proud smirk.

"How's that, Kura-chan?" Shisui flopped to the ground not without grace. "Think you can beat that one day?"

Sakura could tell him right now that even at twenty-six, she thought she could only match that speed and Shisui was only _thirteen_ at the moment. In her timeline, she was certain even Itachi in his twenties was only slightly faster than Shisui was now.

But it wasn't like her to say she couldn't she crossed her arms stubbornly and told him, "I'll beat that speed and then you'll have to lose the nickname!" She huffed at the smirk on his face. "Just you wait; I'll be much faster when I grow up!"

"That's the spirit!" Shisui ruffled her hair again and Sakura didn't bother ducking out of the way. She could tell this would become a habit the Shunshin expert wasn't going to drop anytime soon. "But don't think I'll make it easy for you. You're gonna have to work you're a- butt off."

Sakura snickered inwardly at Shisui's slip. He was as far from the typical Uchiha as possible and she couldn't say she minded.

"Anyway, I was on my way to get some dango," Shisui continued, getting to his feet again. "Wanna come with me? My treat, in celebration of the Uchiha Clan gaining a new family member."

Sakura almost rolled her eyes. She wasn't really a family member just because she had the Uchiha Clan's backing. She remembered reading about the other handful of shinobi the Uchihas had taken on over the years though and knew they all went on to marry one member or another so at least she knew why Shisui seemed to have all but inducted her into his clan. Still, Sakura wasn't planning on marrying anybody anytime soon.

But the dango sounded nice and she did even have to pay, so, she nodded and scampered inside to leave a note for her parents. They knew she was preparing for the Academy so they had told her to simply leave a note if she needed to leave early or stay late to practice.

As she returned to Shisui out front, Sakura thought she sensed a flare of killer intent for just a millisecond from the tree Shisui had perched on earlier but when she turned to look there was no one there.

Beside her, for some unknown reason that he didn't divulge even after Sakura asked, Shisui laughed.

 **~E~**

When Itachi closed the front door with an audible snap, Mikoto immediately knew he was annoyed. Her eldest son typically made as little noise as possible.

"Did you not have enough time to finish training, Itachi-kun?" She asked as he stepped inside the kitchen.

Itachi shook his head but didn't say more than that right away, busying himself with getting a glass of water. Mikoto didn't mind; she knew her son was only gathering his thoughts and not being impolite.

Several minutes later, Itachi asked abruptly, "Why do people like Shisui so much?"

Mikoto couldn't help but stare. Of all things she was waiting to hear, it was not that.

Itachi must've caught the perplexity in her expression because he clarified, a strain of annoyance leaking into his voice as he sat down at the dinner table. "He had no respect for personal space and he does not even act like an Uchiha. He says what he wants and calls people by ridiculous monikers without asking for permission."

Mikoto blinked. Was her son…

"Itachi-kun," She started gently, moving to take a seat at the table as well. "You have never had any particular problems with Shisui's personality before. What brought this on?"

Itachi actually fidgeted a little and Mikoto started getting worried. Did Shisui cross a line in his interactions with Itachi? She had never worried because she thought her stoic son could use some affection from someone other than herself but perhaps Shisui had finally somehow insulted Itachi with his teasing and her admittedly introverted son didn't understand it was only that?

When Itachi didn't say anything more, Mikoto enquired tentatively, "Did something he say come out as an insult? I'm sure Shisui-kun didn't mean it. What did he say?"

Itachi frowned. "He said he has the fastest Shunshin in the Uchiha Clan and it would be hard to surpass him in that area."

Mikoto frowned in utter confusion. Itachi had never minded that fact, especially since it was the truth.

"Then he took her out for dango," Itachi added, his hands tightening around his glad of water.

… _Her?_

"'Her'", Itachi-kun?" Mikoto asked cautiously. "He was talking to someone else?"

Itachi nodded. "Of course. I would not care if he said that to me."

Mikoto picked her next words carefully. "But you cared when he said it to the…girl?"

 _Could it be?_

Itachi nodded again, his frown deepening. "He interrupted her training and he was rude even when he introduced himself but she didn't seem to mind."

"And this is a bad thing?" Mikoto asked slowly, trying to contain her rising glee.

 _Was Itachi taking an interest in something other than training?_

Itachi nodded a third time before tacking on with just the slightest hint of resentment, "She was impressed with his speed."

Mikoto tried very hard not to smile. "Well, Shisui-kun is very fast. I'm sure anyone who hadn't seen him use Shunshin would be."

Itachi's mouth twitched downward. "…He called her 'Kura-chan' even though she told him to call her by her real name."

Apparently, her son was not happy that she didn't seem very sympathetic to his plight and was trying to point out all of his cousin's faults.

…Wait.

"'Kura-chan'?" Mikoto's voice came out more shocked than she planned and she straightened subconsciously.

Clearly believing that his mother had finally caught on, Itachi demanded, "He obviously shouldn't if she doesn't want him to, right? So, why did she agree when he asked her out for dango?"

Mikoto was still stuck on the nickname. "Itachi-kun, are we talking about Sakura-chan right now?"

Itachi gave her a rare impatient look as if he expected his mother to be telepathic and just _know_. She was clearly being slow on purpose.

Mikoto _really_ wanted to laugh.

"Itachi-kun," Mikoto couldn't help smiling. "I'm sure Shisui-kun only wanted to make Sakura-chan feel more welcome. After all, she will have more interactions with our clan now that we are representing her."

"…He called her 'Kura-chan'!" There was indignation in her son's voice as he repeated himself, and for once, he seemed to forget to speak with the typical Uchiha aloofness. "Like they're friends even though they just met!"

"Shisui-kun is just being friendly, Itachi-kun," Mikoto explained. "Doesn't he call you 'Tachi-kun'?"

Itachi immediately scowled. "I do not like it, but Shisui is my cousin. We grew up together."

"And Shisui-kun wants to be Sakura-chan's friend so he gave her a nickname," Mikoto said firmly but not unkindly. Her emotionally distant son was finally showing interest in something normal and she didn't want to discourage him. "I'm sure she would let you as well."

Itachi was silent for a long moment, and even though the only sign of his irritation was the frown on his face, Mikoto knew he was stewing inside.

"…I met her first," Itachi finally told her quietly but there was a sliver of hurt in his voice.

Mikoto didn't know whether to laugh or hug her son. She chose the latter and made a mental note to thank Sakura at a later date when she felt him hug her back. It had been a long time since Itachi had felt the need for affection from her, and she was glad it was for something as simple as this.

Her eldest child was a prodigy but most forgot that he was also only nine-years-old. While he would wield weapons and complete high-level missions without fail, he was also very deprived of the social interactions most children his age experienced. Mikoto had always hated the fact that Itachi had never learned how to play or make friends or even just relax.

"Itachi-kun," She said when he pulled away. "If you want to be friends with Sakura-chan as well, all you have to do is talk to her. It doesn't have to be anything specific; Sakura-chan will understand." She paused, and then added. "And Shisui-kun can be friends with her if he wants. After all, Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun are also her friends, aren't they?"

Itachi scowled just a little but nodded in a resigned manner before downing the rest of his water. A thought seemed to occur to him as he stood up to leave.

"She said she would get me to talk," Itachi muttered almost to himself. "That means she will have to talk to me."

And with a sharp nod of satisfaction, he retreated to his room, leaving a bewildered Mikoto in his wake.

Later, when Sasuke descended the stares and caught his mother laughing to herself, Mikoto had to give the impression that she had simply been thinking of something funny before staring on Sasuke's breakfast.

Itachi's predicament wasn't really humorous but Mikoto just couldn't help herself. Her son was finally acting his age and it was quite amusing to watch.

 **~M~**

Fugaku had spent all day in the Council room fielding questions and pushing two children's – one of them being the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki – enrolment into the Academy. Suffice to say, he was in a rather foul mood by the time he came home so he didn't find it particularly fair when his wife came to greet him with an unusually good cheer.

"Something good happen today?" Fugaku asked as he sat down wearily at the dinner table. It was late and his sons were already in bed.

Mikoto 'hmm'd an affirmative as she placed his dinner in front of him. "Itachi-kun had a slight falling out with Shisui-kun today but I think it is for the best," An almost demonic glint appeared in her eyes and Fugaku watched her somewhat warily.

"They're fighting over a girl," Mikoto told him cheerfully. "Sakura-chan to be exact."

Fugaku wondered if the day-long Council meeting had affected his mental faculties. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had.

"Sakura-san is _five_ , dear," Fugaku pointed out wryly. "And Itachi is nine. She's too young for anyone to be fighting over and our son's too young to be doing the fighting."

"Well, of course," She agreed. "It's just friendly rivalry between children. Shisui-kun is only thirteen after all. But it's good for Itachi-kun. He need to learn how to socialise."

Fugaku grunted but didn't say anything to dispute his wife's excitement. His wife had always been adamant on this aspect of Itachi's life. So long as Itachi didn't do a complete 180 and start skipping training, Fugaku didn't mind who he interacted with while off-duty.

"What about you?" Mikoto's gaze became concerned. "It looks like you've had a hard day."

Fugaku sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You could say that. Honestly, you'd think I grew a second head today with all the stares I got. That Yamanaka looked like he wanted to check my mind for possession or something."

Fugaku was tired and only when his wife was around which was the only reason he could loosen his tongue a little.

Mikoto released a soft laugh at that. "Well, you have to admit, it is very out-of-character for you to represent two children outside of the Uchiha Clan. And one of them being…"

She trailed off meaningfully and Fugaku nodded. Sometimes, he wished he could share her struggle about Naruto being the son of the Yondaime and Uzumaki Kushina, he remembered the tears his wife had shed when she heard of her dear friend's sacrifice; she was at least quick to figure out for herself that Naruto wasn't the Kyuubi who took her friend away.

"Did it work though?" Mikoto continued. "Did they approve?"

"In the end, if push comes to shove, only the Hokage needs to approve it and he did," Fugaku confirmed. "But it is better if the Council agrees. They didn't have any problems accepting Sakura-san's admission but the Uzumaki boy took me most of the day to convince them." He paused and then scoffed, "Nara agreed just to speed things along. He was ready to fall asleep by the late afternoon. I think he _was_ asleep by the time the meeting ended. How someone like him became a clan head is beyond me."

Mikoto laughed again and Fugaku found himself smiling back grudgingly.

"You know as well as I do that Shikaku-san more than makes up for his laziness with his intellect," Mikoto said.

"If he had intellect, he wouldn't be so lazy," Fugaku grumbled without heat.

They fell into a comfortable silence as Fugaku finished his meal. As Mikoto cleaned up, Fugaku leant back in his seat wearily, his mind casting back to the meeting with the Clan Elders that morning.

The Elders were not happy with Fugaku taking on an extra burden like Konoha's Jinchuuriki but he insisted. He didn't know where he was going with his decision, not exactly, but his instincts told him it was the right choice. He was as afraid as they were that the Uchiha Clan would soon be reduced in strength with the other clans standing against them.

But after today's meeting, he noticed something strange. He had told his wife that Nara Shikaku only consented to getting the meeting over but he knew it was only part of the reason. Shika did not capitulate immediately after all. He listened to Fugaku's reasons and summary of Naruto's skills with sharp eyes that contradicted his signature slouch. He brought up point that made Fugaku defend his claims with honest reasons; and during a break in the early afternoon, he ambled up to Fugaku as asked with uncharacteristic sobriety if Fugaku was being sincere.

Fugaku wanted Haruno Sakura associated with his Clan _for_ his Clan but the only reason he wanted Uzumaki Naruto was for Sakura and, after a night's contemplation, for Minato. And he had not played political war with the Elders and the Could for hours just to entertain himself so his answer was a frigid but vehement 'yes'.

Shikaku ended up staring at him with an odd look on his face that Fugaku couldn't decipher for several seconds before shrugging lazily and meandering back to Inoichi and Chouza. But after that, Fugaku suddenly found himself with three new allies and it wasn't long until they managed to talk Tsume and Shibi around as well. The Hyuuga Clan Head took a while but Fugaku originally expected Hiashi to downright refuse until the bitter end so he didn't mind. Once they were convinced he wasn't representing Naruto for underhanded reasons, Fugaku was taken aback by the number of people willing to stand beside him.

And he didn't understand that. He had always thought the other Clans wanted the Uchiha Clan undermined and kept under surveillance, used only for the power they brought to Konoha but having no real voice within the village. Surely, they would have done whatever they could have to discredit him and accuse him of treachery. But after today, after the way the other Clan Heads helped his petition get through the village Elders _willingly_ , Fugaku wasn't sure what to think.

The only thing he was sure of was that maybe he should start thinking of ways to convince his Clan's Elders and the other Uchihas to reconsider the coup d'état they have been planning.

 **~P~**

"Finally home, dear?"

Inoichi looked up and smiled wearily at his wife who was descending the stairs in her sleepwear. "You look exhausted," Airi observed, bustling into the kitchen to heat up his dinner. "Council meetings usually don't take all day. Did something big happen?"

"That Uchiha brought up a huge issue," Inoichi grumbled, slumping into a seat. "He didn't even have the decency to warn us beforehand so we could prepare to bulldoze the Elders and not spend the entire day fielding their bullshit."

"Language," Airi said sternly as she carried his dinner over. "And warn you about what?"

Inoichi dug into his meal with enthusiasm and swallowed a huge mouthful before speaking again. "He wants Uzumaki Naruto enrolled in the Academy in the upcoming term along with a civilian girl."

"Uzumaki…" She trailed off, looking thoughtful. "That's good, isn't it? So long as he isn't doing it for any ulterior motives, with the Uchiha Clan backing him, Naruto-kin will get decent education."

Inoichi smiled fondly at his wife and her lack of judgement. Despite her love of gossip, Airi had never been one to let others guide her beliefs and the rumours on Konoha's Jinchuuriki were no different.

"Exactly," Inoichi nodded. "But Uchiha could've warned us first."

"Do you blame him for not coming to the rest of you?" Airi was suddenly frowning. "He probably thinks you'd all disagree with him."

Inoichi scoffed and retorted, "Anyone would disagree with him after seeing that stick up his ass -ow!"

Airi glared at him as Inoichi rubbed his head. "How many times have I told you to make an effort to listen to his side of things?" She scolded. "Honestly, it's no wonder he expects all of you to oppose him."

Inoichi rolled his eyes but didn't argue. He supposed today was a prime example of what his wife had been alluding to for years.

"What about the girl then?" Airi enquired. "Who is she? It isn't like the Uchihas to take in someone from the civilian sector."

Inoichi nodded in agreement. "She's quite the prodigy, apparently. She knows Shunshin and can already fight efficiently with kunai, and her chakra control takes after Tsunade-sama's."

Airi's eyes widened. "Chakra-enhanced strength?"

"Yeah," Inoichi shook his head. "She's the one who saved Uchiha's second son from that Iwa missing-nin I mentioned."

"She must be amazing," Airi remarked, and then her head snapped sharply to the right, her eyes focussed on the doorway. "Yamanaka Ino, I told you to go to bed!"

It was a testament to how tired he was that Inoichi's relaxed guard didn't pick up his own daughter. He raised an eyebrow when Ino slipped into the room, looking guilty but defiant.

"I just wanted to see Tou-san before I went to bed," She muttered before brightening when Inoichi opened his arms. She bounded forward and clambered into his lap, clearly happy that her father wasn't mad at her. Inoichi shot Airi a sheepish look over Ino's head and his wife rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"You're always spoiling her," She lectured half-heartedly.

"And you're always not," Inoichi pointed out. "It balances things out."

Ino giggled in his arms as Airi scowled at him.

"How was your day, Ino?" Inoichi glanced down at his daughter.

"Great!" She exclaimed, snuggling into his chest. "Sakura came over and I taught her how to make a flower wreath."

Inoichi stiffened. "Sakura?"

Ino pouted up at him. "My friend, Tou-san. The one I'm always telling you about."

Inoichi frowned in consternation. Huh, he somehow hadn't made the connection. "Her name's Sakura?"

Ino huffed in annoyance. "Yeah, Tou-san."

Airi shot him a mildly exasperated look. "Is that important?" She asked.

Inoichi shrugged. "The civilian girl Uchiha is representing is Sakura. Haruno Sakura."

Ino perked up. "Yeah, that's Sakura's last name," She wilted just as quickly. "She said she was going to go to the Academy early. I didn't know it was this early."

Inoichi blinked down at her. What were the odds that his own daughter would be friends with the girl who managed to impress the Uchiha Clan Head?

"She's told you about it?" He pressed.

Ino nodded. "Yeah, she said she was going to the Academy soon," She made a face and thumped one foot against the table. "I wanted to enter with her but I wouldn't be able to keep up anyway. She already knows a lot."

Inoichi exchanged a look with Airi. Ino had never expressed a desire to go to the Academy. She had always known she would be going when she turned six and she had never had any problems with it but there had never been any particular interest either.

"You know, I could enrol you early if that's what you want," Inoichi suggested, but Ino shook her head.

"There wouldn't be any point," She told him with a sigh. "I checked the stuff we'd learn in first year and I think I need to start reading more. Maybe next year."

Inoichi just nodded silently, sharing a pleased look with his wife this time. He was glad Ino had finally shown some enthusiasm towards studying and he suddenly wanted to meet the person who seemed to have inspired that in his daughter.

"You remember we're going over to Shikaku-jii-san's place for dinner in a few days, right?" He chuckled when Ino groaned. "Are Shikamaru-kun and Chouji-kun that bad?"

Ino instantly scowled. "They're so boring," She complained. "All Shikamaru does is watch clouds and call everything, and I mean _everything_ , 'troublesome', and Chouji spends the entire time eating."

Airi giggled at this and Inoichi laughed outright. "Well," He grinned. "Why don't you invite Sakura-chan? I'm sure no one would mind if you brought a friend along so you would have someone to talk to."

Ino brightened and threw her arms around his neck. "Really?! Thanks, Tou-san! I'll ask Sakura-chan tomorrow! Now I won't be the only girl there!"

Inoichi smiled in bemusement. "You do know you have female cousins and so do the boys."

Ino rolled her eyes. "But they're all _older_ , Tou-san. Besides, they're not my friends."

Inoichi sighed but didn't argue. His daughter was so much like his wife in that aspect. He knew he wouldn't get anywhere when Ino was being stubborn.

"Alright, that's enough," Airi cut in, sending a stern look at Ino. "Its way passed your bedtime, young lady. Up you go."

Five minutes later, Ino was tucked back into bed again and the two adults sat back at the dinner table as the clock ticked the night's minutes away.

"You just want to meet Sakura-chan," Airi pointed out after a long moment of companionable silence.

Inoichi shot a slightly guilty look at his wife. "Not entirely," He protested. "Ino will have a friend to play with and I'll finally get to meet her."

Airi just sighed. "Aren't these dinners just for our three clans?"

Inoichi waved a hand. "Most of the time, Shikaku, Chouza and I don't even talk business and I _know_ you women just get together to exchange the latest gossip. It's just a social event. Shikaku won't mind."

Airi threw her hand in the air and rose to her feet. "If you're sure. I'm going to bed. Don't stay up too late."

"Yes, darling," He said obediently, smiling faintly at his wife as she disappeared from the kitchen.

Leaning back in his chair, Inoichi turned his thoughts back to the earlier meeting. He had always pegged the Uchiha Clan Head as a stuck-up man who believed everyone was beneath him and everything unrelated to his clan was unimportant.

But Fugaku had been bewilderingly genuine in his insistence to enrol Uzumaki Naruto, going so far as to accept their help instead of maintaining his haughty nature and trying to shut them all out at the smallest sign of opposition.

Inoichi wondered who brought around this change in the man or at least convinced Fugaku to show this side of him. The Uchiha Clan was just as important as any other clan in Konoha, just as needed, and he pondered on the possibility of the clans' relations improving with each other from this point on.

If that actually came to pass, Inoichi wanted to know who he had to thank.

 **~E~**

"Are you sure it's alright?" Sakura asked anxiously for the third time as Ino led her to the Nara compound.

"I'm sure, Sakura," Ino assured her with a roll of her eyes. "My dad said nobody would mind. Besides, these dinners are always _so_ boring. I need someone to talk to and who better than my best friend?"

Sakura smiled even through her worry. Ino had never been one to hold back what she thought.

Ino swept past the Nara sentries with a wave and winning smile and they let her through, showing only passing interest when their gazes landed on Sakura.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to my dad," Ino told her, ushering Sakura around the main house.

Sakura bit back a sigh. She knew Yamanaka Inoichi, of course; there were many who didn't, and she had worked with the Clan Head before in her own timeline before he died, not to mention she had been introduced to him by Ino the first time around as well.

"Tou-san!" Ino called out and Sakura looked up to see Konoha's top interrogator relaxing on the porch with Nara Shikaku and Akimichi Chouza beside him.

Great. Not just one clan head, but three.

"Hi, Shikaku-jii-san, Chouza-jii-san," Ino greeted hastily before pushing Sakura forward and grinning proudly up at her father. "Tou-san, this is Sakura, my best friend."

Sakura was immediately pinned under three sharp gazes and her face warmed even as she ducked her head in a low bow. "Nice to meet you, Yamanaka-sama," Sakura murmured, and then because it was just plain stupid not to greet the other two as well, she turned and offered a shy smile. "Good evening, Akimichi-sama. Thank you for inviting me, Nara-sama."

There was a moment of silence where Sakura thought she had botched her introduction, but then Inoichi chuckled and Chouza smiled kindly at her as Shikaku nodded lazily.

"It's nice to meet you too, Sakura-chan," Inoichi leaned forward with an amused smile. "And there's no need to be so formal here. Inoichi is fine. Same for these two."

Sakura smiled and nodded in acceptance. She blinked when Shikaku stirred and peered at her curiously.

"Huh, you really do have pink hair," Hi remarked, ignoring the look of reproach Chouza sent him.

Sakura couldn't help smiling just a little, feeling a mixed thrum of nostalgia and agony run through her. In her own timeline, out of all her friends' parents, it was Shikamaru's father she had gotten closest to and she was also deeply affected when she heard the news of the trio's death when the Biju ball obliterated Headquarters. She was almost on par with the Nara heir in terms of intellect, Sakura was often called on to plan strategy with the Naras and she had spent more than one night slumped over their coffee table with Shikaku and Shikamaru and a stack of battle plans. She was more than familiar with Shikaku's barefaced observations.

"Yes, sir," She said in response. "My parents were pretty surprised too."

Shikaku raised and eyebrow and quirked an amused smile at her before leaning back again, his entire posture languid as if he couldn't be bothered to straighten out his spine. Sakura had to muffle another giggle.

"Help yourself to the food, Sakura-chan," Chouza put in. "The barbeque is delicious."

Sakura only had time to nod in acknowledgement before Ino was dragging her away again, point out her uncles and aunts and cousins and chattering away about what they did.

Sakura found herself relaxing in the friendly atmosphere but in between bites of food and meeting Shikamaru and Chouji's mothers, she caught a glimpse of Inoichi or Chouza or Shikaku watching her with inquisitive eyes. She didn't know if that was a good sign or not.

When Ino stopped talking to sip at some water, Sakura took the opportunity to point at two figures lounging on a grassy area near the porch where the three Clan Heads were lounging and asked, "Who are they?"

Ino turned to look before she made a face. "Oh, them. That's Shikamaru and Chouji," She hesitated for a moment before getting to her feet and motioned for Sakura to follow. "You'll probably meet them sooner or later so I'll introduce you now."

Sakura's happiness at seeing another two of her old friends was dampened by the sorrow that welled up in her simultaneously. There were times when she walked through the village, looking at everything around her still alive and flourishing, and felt like she wanted to cry. It was even worse when she saw people she knew from her previous timeline.

"Oi, Shikamaru, Chouji," Ino's voice took on a note of bossiness as she put her hands on her hips and scowled down at the two boys. "You could at least say, 'hi' when someone our age comes to these dinners. If she didn't have me, she'd be all alone."

Shikamaru didn't even bother opening his eyes but Sakura knew he had already seen her and understood who Ino was talking about.

"If she didn't have you, she wouldn't even be here," The Nara heir countered.

Beside him, Chouji was very quiet as Ino blushed and started berating Shikamaru. Sakura remembered Chouji to be rather shy and weary of other children because of his size. She remembered the way other people teased her for her hair and forehead and wondered why she never took the time to talk to Chouji when they were in the Academy together.

Well, it would be different this time.

Smiling tentatively, Sakura stepped forward and crouched down beside Chouji. "Hi," She stuck out a hand with earnest sincerity. "I'm Sakura. You must be Chouji. It's nice to meet you."

Chouji blinked first at her and then her hand as if he couldn't believe she was talking to him willingly. And then, slowly he extended a hand as well and shook hers clumsily.

"Nice to meet you too," He said, an edge of uncertainty underlying his voice.

Sakura pretended not to notice and beamed warmly at him instead. "I already met your parents; your mum's really nice."

Chouji flushed with pleasure and the tension in the line of his shoulders disappeared as he finally smiled back at her.

"She is," He agreed before blinking curiously at her hair. "You have pretty hair," He blurted out, turning even redder.

Sakura could feel herself blushing but she flashed an appreciative grin at the boy. "Thanks. Most people just think it's weird," She stopped to flash a smile at Ino, who had stopped yelling at Shikamaru and was currently staring at her like she had grown an extra limb. Shikamaru had finally opened his eyes and was peering at her as if she didn't quite know what to make of her.

"Ino chased them all away," Sakura continued. "That bullies I mean. She's my best friend."

Ino's grin was radiant when she heard Sakura's declaration and her bad mood from before disappeared like mist at high noon. She sat down on the grass, reaching out to tug Sakura down as well so she was sitting between her and Chouji before jabbing a finger at Shikamaru.

"And this is Shikamaru," She announced. "He's lazy and boring and likes to watch clouds. And he plays old man games."

Shikamaru shot the blonde an annoyed look but muttered "troublesome" before turning his attention back to Sakura.

Sakura smiled again. After her first Chuunin Exams, Shikamaru had always been like an older brother to her. When her parents died, Sakura rented a flat but more often than not, she would spend her nights in one of the Nara's guest bedrooms, one that had slowly become 'her' bedroom.

"Hi," She said. "Does 'old man games' mean shogi?"

Shikamaru's eyebrows rose with interest. "You know shogi?"

Sakura nodded, swallowing a snicker when Ino groaned beside her.

"Not you too, Sakura!" The blonde wailed. "It's bad enough that Shikamaru plays it!"

Sakura just laughed. "It's not so bad, Ino. You just need a lot of patience."

Ino scowled but accepted Sakura's quirks like she had always done before climbing to her feet. "Well, if you're going to talk about shogi, I'll go get some food for you. You didn't eat the yakiniku yet."

Chouji opened his mouth as if he wanted to ask Ino to get him some too but closed it again a moment later. Sakura frowned just a bit before piping up, "Mind bringing enough for all of us, Ino? We might as well just eat together so we don't have to keep getting up when one of us gets hungry."

Ino ponders this for a second before nodding agreeably and flounced away, making a beeline for the food set out in the centre of the compound.

Sakura smiled to herself and turned back to the boys, only to blink when she found Shikamaru sitting up and watching her with thoughtful eyes. He knew exactly what she had just done and Sakura couldn't really be surprised. It _was_ Shikamaru after all.

He didn't bring it up thought and moved to conversation back to shogi instead. "So, you play," He said bluntly. "Are you any good?"

Sakura tilted her head to the side. At twenty-six, she had only managed to win almost half the games they had played ever since he taught her how. She had even played Shikaku, but over the span of ten years and a total of fifty-two games, she had only been able to win four times against Konoha's Head Strategist. Considering the fact that even Kakashi had only been able to beat Shikaku six times out of fifty-five, she was quite happy with her four.

At the age of five, if Shikamaru somehow managed to beat her, Sakura just may consider beating her head against a wall.

"Pretty good," She replied, and then because she knew what buttons to push, "What about you?"

Shikamaru took a mildly offended look and he actually straightened up. "I'm a Nara," He said as if it was all the explanation anyone would ever need.

Sakura blinked innocently at him and feigned ignorance. "I know you are. What does that have to do with anything?"

Shikamaru stared wide-eyed at her for a moment. "All Naras can play shogi," He explained, looking mildly put-out.

Sakura waved a hand, " _Anyone_ can play shogi. Are you good enough to beat me?"

Shikamaru actually gawked at her for a few seconds and then he was scrambling to his feet. "Wait here!" He ordered, and then he was off, running for his house as fast as he could.

Sakura burst into giggles and grinned mischievously at a bemused-looking Chouji. "He gets pretty worked up about shogi," She said wisely.

Chouji grinned back, smaller than hers but just as genuine. "He does. Clouds and shogi are practically the only things he cares about."

Sakura features softened and she leant over to knock shoulders with him. "And you, right?"

Chouji turned to look at her, clearly surprised, before his smile widened and he nodded. "Yeah, Shikamaru's my best friend."

They both looked up when they heard rapid footsteps heading their way and exchanged amused looks as Shikamaru scampered up, shogi board in hand. He plopped down right in front of her and demanded, "Let's play."

Laughing helplessly, Sakura nodded and set up her pieces as Ino returned with two plates piled up high with food. It was going to be a long evening but Sakura couldn't think of anywhere she would rather be than right there with them.

 **~S~**

"I like her," Shikaku announced as he adjusted the chakra he was using to listen in on the children several dozen feet away.

"You must," Inoichi agreed dryly. "Eavesdropping is usually too troublesome for you and now you've stooped to eavesdropping on children."

Shikaku roll his eyes. " _You_ started it. You're a bad influence on me."

"You're both bad influences," Chouza cut in mildly. "And when Yoshino-chan and Airi-chan catch you, you're both dead."

"You're in the same boat as we are!" Inoichi protested indignantly.

"No, I'm not," Chouza denied with an uncharacteristic smirk. "I'm not eavesdropping on anyone. Can I help it if you're relaying everything they're saying to me?"

Shikaku tuned out Inoichi's reply and heightened his eyesight instead. It was the girl's move and he wanted to know what she would do next.

Haruno Sakura was not what Shikaku expected. Of course, he didn't really expect anything at first; it was not in his nature to make up his mind about something before getting all the facts. But between everything Fugaku had told them about the girl and said girl's actual appearance – pink hair? Really? – Shikaku instinctively thought of on of those odd prodigies who had genius reflexes and a sharp mind but no clue how to blend in with the rest of civilisation or act around other people.

So, despite his typical stance on having prior expectations, Haruno Sakura was not what Shikaku expected.

When she greeted Chouji without the usual taunting other kids often started with, Shikaku approved, and when he heard, Chouza was relieved. When she calmed Ino down from the beginning of a rant with only a few simple words praising her, Shikaku was surprised, and beside him, Inoichi was glad; his daughter usually bulldozed anyone in her way when she got riled up. When she was perceptive enough to mind Chouji's feelings and smart enough to prompt Ino into getting what the Akimichi heir wanted, Shikaku was mildly impressed.

And when she caused Shikaku's own son to sit up and take interest in what she was saying, resulting in the boy being more active than Shikaku had seen in a long while, well, that just took the cake.

"Oh, not good enough," He murmured under his breath as he watched Shikamaru shift a silver general. "Should've moved the knight, brat."

Indeed, a moment later, Sakura took Shikamaru's gold general and leaving his left side wide open. Shikaku could almost feel his son's frustration.

"Is the game really so interesting, Shikaku?" Inoichi leant forward to peer in the same direction.

"She's good," Shikaku muttered in response. "Better than Shikamaru."

"Is she?" Chouza shifted forward as well. "Shikamaru-kun's really good for his age. Sakura-chan must be excellent."

"No, there's something…" Shikaku trailed off, studying the pattern of Sakura's pieces. Her playing style was strange. Unique. And yet…

"It's familiar," He said aloud as her moves clicked into place in his mind. She did not always move as he expected sometimes that was a good thing and sometimes not, but the times she did move according to his own thoughts, her style became clear. "She's playing with a Nara's hand."

Inoichi and Chouza both snapped their heads around to stare at him.

"What does that mean?" Inoichi demanded, but Shikaku ignored him, mostly because he didn't really understand at the moment.

As far as he knew, the girl had had no interactions with his Clan, and even if she had, it didn't explain how she had managed to pick up some of their style. She may be a prodigy but it often took years to incorporate someone else's approach to shogi into her own style. It didn't make sense.

Shikaku hated things that didn't make sense. It got him curious; and curiosity was just really troublesome.

With a sigh, he deactivated the chakra in his eyes as Sakura checkmated his son's king.

"Troublesome," He grumbled and rolled onto his back. He would have to keep an eye on the girl. There was something there that simply didn't add up and he wanted to figure out what it was.

But still, Haruno Sakura was definitely not what he expected.

 **~T~**

As Sakura waited at the front of the Academy, she thought back to last night's dinner with the Naras, bringing the grand total up to four. Ever since the dinner Ino dragged her to almost two weeks ago, Shikaku had somehow wrangled her into accepting another three invitations. The fact that Shikamaru had all but demanded her return for multiple shogi games didn't help her case.

It wasn't as if she had anything against the Naras; on the contrary, she loved being back in one of the places she had spent quite a lot of time in, but there was something about the glint in Shikaku's eyes that made her pensive. She recognised that look; it was the one her time's Shikaku, and later Shikamaru, always had when something had piqued their interest, and she knew there was no stopping either of them until they knew the truth.

"Sakura-chan!" The exuberant shout automatically made her smiled and she turned to wave at Naruto.

"Good morning," She greeted as the blond ran up, hair a mess and his new shinobi-wear mussed as if he only paused long enough to throw them on haphazardly. With an exasperated sigh, Sakura reached out to still the ball of energy before tugging clothes into place.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and grinned sheepishly at her as he held out his arms obediently so she could adjust the blue-grey shirt he was wearing. Finishing by running a hand through his unruly locks, she levelled a stern look on the blond that had absolutely no effect on him. Naruto simply stared back brightly, wide blue eyes melted whatever annoyance she felt.

Sakura rolled her eyes and shook her head when Naruto chuckled, obviously knowing he had ducked out of another lecture.

"Sakura! Naruto!" Sasuke was hurrying towards them, Itachi and Mikoto following at a more sedated pace. He skidded to a stop beside them, a little breathless but much neater in appearance overall than Naruto as he joined them eagerly. "Have you been waiting long?"

Sakura shook her head but Naruto immediately cracked an exaggerated yawn. "We've been waiting forever, Sasuke!" He told him, crossing his arms over the strap of his book bag. "What happened? Fell asleep in the bathroom?"

Sasuke immediately scowled back. "I wasn't asking you, dobe. Why would I care how long you had to wait?"

Sakura smiled as they began bickering again. Not a minute in each other's company and already they were arguing. She had long resigned herself to it.

It was a surprise when Sasuke announced, a few weeks back that he was enrolling as well. Sakura was more than happy of course but she was used to the Sasuke who had to be nagged into spending time with them even when he clearly wanted to and not this Sasuke who laughed and played and hated being left out of anything she and Naruto were doing. Sometimes, she still found it hard to believe.

"Good morning, Sakura-chan," Mikoto said as she walked up, smiling fondly at her youngest son and his best friend. "Honestly, those two."

Sakura giggled and nodded in agreement. She glanced at Itachi who stared back emotionlessly. Her face instantly formed a frown.

She caught Mikoto hiding a smile out of the corner of her eye and she blinked at her in confusion but the Uchiha matriarch said nothing. Instead, she shot Itachi a pointed look that the heir may or may not have understood because, after a moment, he offered a stiff nod in her direction.

Sakura's brain immediately translated: _Good morning_.

Her frown morphed into a glare but she was in Mikoto's presence and screeching at Itachi was probably not a good idea.

"Good morning," She muttered instead, returning the silent salutation half-heartedly. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Mikoto sigh in defeat and wondered what that was about but didn't ask.

Without waiting for another wordless reply from the human statue, Sakura turned back to Naruto and Sasuke and reached out to whack them both gently upside the head.

"Stop that!" She scolded as they turned to pout at her. "We've got school and if you get into another fight, we're going to be late, so settle down!"

They both murmured contrite apologises and Sakura grinned smugly inside. Fifteen, twenty-six, or five, she was still the boss.

"Right then, let's go," She announced.

They waved goodbye to Mikoto and Itachi before making their way into the Academy. The curriculum would be easy for her so she hoped she would get as much time as she wanted in the training yard once she showed how far ahead she was. Right now, she had to concentrate on building up her stamina and fully adjust to her five-year-old body.

 _~x~x~_

* _Two Weeks Later*_

It soon became clear that the Academy, while boring to Sakura and mildly interesting to Sasuke, would be no walk in the park for Naruto. No because he was stupid and the curriculum was too hard, no; it was because the shinobi teaching them was stupid.

Sakura watched with gritted teeth as someone-or-other-sensei sneered for the umpteenth time when he returned Naruto's test. There was red scribbled all over it and Sakura didn't even have to look at it to know it was harder than everyone else's. Prior to said test, she had stayed up with Naruto reviewing and testing him and _knew_ he knew the material.

Sakura had tried to hold her tongue, for Naruto's sake. She and Sasuke at their age knew Naruto didn't like bringing attention to the unfair way other people treated him, but enough was enough.

In her head, Inner was screaming profanities. " **Motherfucking son of bitch! You call yourself a shinobi?! You're not worth the dirt that dogs piss on- "**

Sakura tuned her out in favour of taking a deep breath to steady her temper as the sensei said something that made most of the class snigger. On her left, Sasuke stabbed his pencil into his workbook and made a valiant attempt at reigning in his frustration, not caring about the whole he had poked through the paper.

These shinobi were idiots, suicidally so, because Sakura was not going to sit back and take it anymore. And in her timeline, even Orochimaru learned the hard way to be wary of a pissed-off Sakura, not that it helped him much in the end.

The sensei turned away and all she noticed was Naruto's downcast eyes and hunched shoulders, and she saw red.

Sakura stood up so violently her chair skidded back and hit the wall with a loud bang. It was lucky that she sat in the back because she was fairly certain she would've injured whichever student was placed behind her.

The sensei whirled back, obviously startled, but Sakura didn't give him time to even open his mouth before she was marching forward and seizing the test paper from a frozen Naruto's hands. A cursory glance at it told her everything she needed to know.

" _This_ ," She hissed, thrusting the test in the man's face. "Is _not_ what you told us to study for. This is fourth year material. Are you so blind you can't even tell what kind of test you're handing out?!"

The sensei's face rapidly turned an ugly shade of red. "Haruno-san," He snapped in an icy voice. "Return to your seat this instant. I will not tolerate such offensive behaviour in my class."

"That's exactly what I was going to say," She snarled, her voice so thick with fury that her words came out slightly distorted. " _I_ won't tolerate this any longer either! What had Naruto ever done to you?!"  
She took a step forward and was gratified to see the sensei step back when cracks broke out under her feet.

"Are you supposed to be a professional?" She continued, the test now crumpled beyond repair in her balled fist. She took another step forward. "Teachers are supposed to teach their students, not make sure they fail! You've don nothing but pick on Naruto like some petty five-year-old ever since term started! You should be _fired_! You should be demoted back to _Genin_! You should be stripped as shinobi, you **STUPID CLOSE-MINDED INSIGNIFICANT _ASSHOLE_!" **

Her voice had reached a point where her shriek had matured in a vicious roar by the time she finished. She was so angry that people would treat her surrogate brother like that, and even angrier that anyone would ever _consider_ treating a _child_ like that.

Her sensei was literally cowering in front of her and Sakura realised she had unleashed her killed intent without realising it. Luckily, it was only aimed at the man and not at the six-year-olds around them so she made no effort to pull it back.

"Sa- Sakura-chan," Naruto whispered behind her, sounding stunned and meek at the same time. She felt him pluck at her sleeve and immediately turned her head to look at him, her gaze softened as she pushed her anger away for the time being.

"It's okay," He insisted, which only infuriated Sakura more. "I don't mind; I'm used to it."

Sakura opened her mouth to refute it but someone else bet her to it.

"What do you mean 'it's okay', dobe?" Sasuke had also stood up, the most Uchiha-like glare Sakura had ever seen on present-time Sasuke carved on his face as he glowered at their sensei. "What are you, brain dead? It's definitely _not_ okay!"

His glare switched to Naruto though it softened just a touch. "You're going to be Hokage one day; you _said_!" Sasuke threw out like an accusation and Naruto could only nod, looking slightly dazed.

"Well," Sasuke crossed his arms and gave the blond an unforgiving stare. "I refuse to serve under a Hokage with no backbone so either give up that dream or stop complaining and let Sakura and I do our – our job!" He faltered just a little at the end but finished with steel-like certainty as if he was daring Naruto to refuse his words.

Sakura didn't think she had ever been prouder of him.

For his part, Naruto looked shocked beyond belief and it took a moment for him to react. For several seconds, he turned first to look at Sakura, who met his gaze with all the love and loyalty of her twenty-six-year-old self, and then back at Sasuke, who even at four was convinced he was right and then at their sensei, who _couldn't_ meet Naruto's eyes at all.

And then, motioned deliberately, Naruto sat down.

Nothing more was said between them but Sakura knew she had just witnessed the very beginning of something powerful and long-lasting.

It was Sasuke's turn to give their 'sensei' a piece of his mind and Sasuke stood back to observe, easing up on her killer intent.

"The Uchiha Clan represents back Haruno Sakura _and_ Uzumaki Naruto," Sasuke started coolly, and when the sensei blanched and paled, Sakura realised he hadn't known.

"By denying Naruto's education at the Academy," Sasuke continued. "You are opposing the wishes of my Clan, the village Council, and the Hokage himself. If you don't want to be called in front of the Council to explain your despicable actions, I suggest you find a replacement; and fast."

Sakura thought Sasuke was channelling Itachi because that was the most formal she had ever heard him speak. She supposed that all the time he had spent following his brother around had really helped his development towards threatening people in politely phrased diatribes. Idly, she wondered when Itachi would have found the need to use a word like 'despicable'.

The sensei looked to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown and Sakura was vindictively pleased. Perhaps another wave of killer intent would send him to the hospital.

But before she could consider putting her plan into action, the door swung open and the Hokage himself walked in, followed closely by Crow.

Sakura had to try really, _really_ hard to keep a vicious smirk from surfacing on her face.

 _~x~x~_

"I can't believe we got in trouble!" Naruto grumbled as they wiped down all the desks in the classroom. "I mean that bastard was asking for it!"

Sakura traded an amused look with Sasuke as she scrubbed at a piece of gum under the table.

The Hokage had removed their sensei and dismissed the class for the rest of the day before turning a sever expression on Sakura and Sasuke. The two of them had been reamed out for half an hour for disrespecting a sensei no matter how badly he taught, and then they were assigned chores for the rest of the school day.

"This isn't so bad," Sakura said optimistically. "It could've been worse; we could've been expelled. Besides, you don't really have to stay, Naruto. You weren't punished."

Naruto threw a rare scowl in her direction as he started on the windows. "Yeah, I do, Sakura-chan. You two got in trouble defending me. As future Hokage, I have to take responsa-blitaly for this sort of thing."

"Responsibility, Naruto," Sakura automatically corrected, but she smiled taking the sting out of her words.

"Yeah, that," Naruto waved a hand. "Sides, this is worth seeing sensei get chewed out by the old man."

Sasuke snorted and Sakura caught the self-satisfied smirk on the boy's face. Obviously, Sasuke was very pleased with what he did today.

"We should've done that two weeks ago," He muttered instead, kicking a garbage can over to the deck he was working on. "We would've too if you hadn't been such a girl about it."

His mouth snapped close a second too late and his eyes quickly darted over to Sakura who raised an eyebrow.

"I mean girly," Sasuke amended lamely before realising it wasn't much better and fumbled for another adjective. "I mean- "

Sakura took pity on him and realised her pent-up laughter. Naruto joined in, all but cackled at the embarrassed look on Sasuke's face.

"It's fine, Sasuke," She grinned cheekily at him. "We were pretty cool today."

Sasuke really did smirk that time and 'hn'd in agreement.

Six hours later, the three of them staggered out of the school, completely exhausted but still very pleased with themselves.

Mikoto was at the gate to meet them and only sighed when she spotted their bedraggled appearance so Sakura assumed she knew what happened.

"Alright, let's get all of you back to our place," She announced, ushered the three of them in the direction of the Uchiha compound. "You can all take a bath there and then stay for dinner."

Both Sakura and Naruto brightened at the invitation. Neither of them wanted to drag themselves home in the state they are in.

As the compound came into sight, Mikoto reached out to hug Sasuke with one arm and Sakura with the other before moving forward to hug Naruto as well.

"Two weeks in and already in trouble," Mikoto just said at their questioning looks, but she smiled at the same time.

Sakura thought Uchiha Mikoto was rather proud of them too.

* * *

AN: Thank you again for all the love.

I'd like to say again, that if you plan on reviewing please, please, **please do not** send me, "please update soon" or "I hope you finish the next chapter soon" I really don't appreciate it and it will only make me want to put down the story.

 **Important:** Also, once I finish catching up with all the chapters for Tempest. I will alternate between writing a chapter for either Tempest or A Little Ghost Girl. This is so I can put a bit more focus on my studies, organise my schedule and focus on making the chapters longer. Thank you for understanding.

Also, I have a tumblr where you can come join me, ask questions, throw fan theories and send prompts if you would like a short story. You can find me .com I'm always happy to talk Naruto and hey, if you want crossover stuff or something else, I'm open to anything


	5. Chapter 5: Suspicions and Decisions

"Rule Four?"

"A shinobi must always put the mission first."

"Rule Twenty-Five?"

"A shinobi must never show emotion."

"Rule Twenty-seven?"

"A shinobi must never question their commander, which I don't get. What if the commander's wrong?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes as he looked up from his scroll. "You still have to follow orders, dobe."

Naruto stared back dubiously. "So, if the commander makes a completely stupid decision that would end with everyone dying, we should still go along with it?"

Sasuke scoffed. "If the decision would end like that, 'the commander' wouldn't be a commander."

"But just say they were!" Naruto persisted. "What if they make a mistake that only one person sees?" He turned to Sakura who had put down the list of rules she had been testing Naruto on. "We should definitely point that out, right Sakura-chan?"

Sakura dropped her chin into one hand, studying the blond with a mix of amusement and thoughtfulness. Even at his age, Naruto had learned not to follow orders mindlessly.

"Yeah," Sakura nodded in agreement as she continued slowly, "I think we should trust the commander to make the best decisions for everyone on a mission and follow their orders no matter how hard they are, but also retain a personal opinion on our actions."

"Exactly!" Naruto nodded vigorously before screwing up his face. "Wait, what's 'retain'?

"To continue having something," Sakura quickly explained. She kept forgetting to dumb down her vocabulary, but at the same time it was good practice for Naruto.

"My father always says we should do what a higher-ranking shinobi says on missions," Sasuke cut in before pausing and then amending, "Especially if that higher-ranking shinobi is an Uchiha."

"I'm not saying we should disobey orders for no good reason," Sakura said carefully. "I just think we should always do what's right, and what's right is, well, to always make sure our actions follow our ninja way."

Naruto peered at her inquisitively and even Sasuke shifted forward intently. "What's our ninja way?"

"It's different for everyone," Sakura wracked her mind. "It's like each person's code of conduct. What you believe in. A rule each shinobi lives by."

Understanding dawned in Naruto's eyes and Sasuke leant back with a contemplative expression.

"So, I have to make up my own ninja way," Naruto frowned. "I don't know what that is yet."

Sakura laughed a little. "Take your time, Naruto. You're not even a ninja yet. I'm sure you'll think of one eventually."

"It's like the Will of Fire, right?" Sasuke looked at Sakura questioningly and clarified, "Nii-san once mentioned that the Will of Fire is the life philso- "His brow furrowed. "Phi-lo-so-phy of Konoha. The belief our village lives by. I don't know what that is though," He ended with slightly reddened features.

Sakura smiled reassuringly and flipped through her scrolls before pulling one out. "Here, I saw it while I was reading." Spreading it out on the table, she pointed at the depiction of the Will of Fire statue built in the Konoha cemetery.

"The Will of Fire," She recited from memory. "States that every true Konoha shinobi must love, believe, cherish, and fight for their village, as previous generations have done before them."

She glanced up and smiled at the twin looks of fascination and determination on her boys' faces. "That's what Konoha-nin believe and follow," She watched them calmly. "And each shinobi has their own personal oath."

"What's yours, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked eagerly only for Sasuke to punch him in the shoulder.

"She just said it's personal, dobe," Sasuke reproached though he couldn't quite hide his own curiosity as he glanced over at Sakura.

Naruto pouted and Sakura offered a compromise. "I'll tell you when the both of you can tell me yours."

Instant agreements came from the both of them and Sakura just smiled again and returned to her books. She thought back to the last promise she made in her own timeline, the bow she swore to her soul.

 _Protect my friends, protect my village, and protect their futures, no matter the cost. That is my ninja way_.

 **~T~**

"We don't really have another Chuunin instructor to spare, Hokage-sama," Shikaku scratched his head in irritation at having been dragged back to work at eight in the evening to talk about Chuunin instructors of all things. He wasn't even in charge of the Chuunin!

"I realise that, Shikaku," Sarutobi said wearily and motioned at a scroll on his deck. "I _have_ checked the registry. But I need a new instructor by tomorrow. Aren't there any other Chuunin or even Jounin available?"

Shikaku shook his head. "Any Chuunin not in the registry at the moment are either on missions or unqualified. Or both. And my Jounin didn't become Jounin to teach at the Academy. Besides, most of them are on missions too."

Sarutobi sighed and looked so tired for a moment that Shikaku took pity on the man.

"Look, what is this about?" Shikaku squinted down at the crossed-out name on the roster. "If this…Hamaguchi is causing any trouble, I can _talk_ to him. I'm sure I'll be able to straighten him out before tomorrow."

Sarutobi smiled in spite of himself. "That's not the problem, Shikaku. Hamaguchi did let his personal feelings affect his teaching but after what he went through, he doesn't _want_ the position anymore."

Shikaku raised an eyebrow in silent question.

Releasing a chuckle, Sarutobi expanded, "Naruto was placed in his class and, unfortunately, like most of the village, Hamaguchi-san made his life…difficult. Naruto's friends spoke up against this treatment and ended up scaring him, for lack of a better word."

Shikaku perked up a little at the new information. "By friends, do you mean Haruno Sakura?"

It was Sarutobi's turn to look bemused. "Yes, along with Uchiha Sasuke."

Shikaku was quiet for a moment before enquiring, "What did they do?"

Sarutobi looked even more bewildered as to why his notoriously lazy Jounin Commander was making an effort into knowing more about something that wasn't really necessary for the issue at hand. Shikaku couldn't blame him; he had been questioning his own sanity as well.

"Well," Sarutobi frowned thoughtfully. "I do not know the exact details but the ANBU who cam and reported the incident told me that Sakura-chan yelled at him for a while and Sasuke-kun followed her example by using his clan's weight to frighten Hamaguchi-san." His smile was just on the side of satisfied. "From what I saw when I walked in, they did quite a number on him."

Shikaku absorbed the information with a bland expression, filing it under, 'will protect friends from authority figures' in his mental catalogue of Haruno Sakura's traits.

"Why so interested, Shikaku?" Sarutobi asked next, looking curious now.

Shikaku offered a shrug. "Sakura-chan's friends with my son," He said, giving a half-truth. "Just wanted to know she didn't get expelled for this."

Sarutobi tilted his head and regarded Shikaku in a way that told him he hadn't really fooled the Sandaime, but he didn't say anything and only nodded in acceptance instead.

"I could see if any of the current Chuunin instructors would be willing to take an extra class," Shikaku suggested. "It'll be troublesome but I'm sure at least one of them will agree."

Sarutobi nodded, looking relieved as he glanced at the stacks of paperwork he still had yet to complete. "That would do nicely. Please make sure they are capable of restraining their biases."

Shikaku nodded back as he accepted the registry from the Hokage before sketching a lazy salute and Shunshined away. What a troublesome job but at least if he had to suffer a late night, so did the Chuunin on the list.

 **~E~**

Sakura liked Daikoku-sensei much more than the first one. Granted, the man was very Uchiha-inclined and spent fifteen minutes singing Itachi's praises to an increasingly annoyed Sasuke but at least he was fair to Naruto and treated the blond like any other student. For that, Sakura was willing to cut him some slack.

The other students still stayed away from Naruto as much as possible but after Sakura's apparently terrifying rant the previous day, they keep their opinions of the Jinchuuriki to themselves. There was resentment between them, of course. Sasuke because of his position, Sakura because of her civilian status, and Naruto because he was Naruto. But the three of them stuck together and kept to themselves, and the boys were always willing to pick a fight with anyone who so much as looked at Sakura wrong. Oftentimes, she was the one who had to hold them back.

Sakura flew through the first-year curriculum and answered all the questions Daikoku-sensei fired at her. In the end, he agreed to let her train on her own for the latter half of the school days, much to Sasuke and Naruto's visible envy.

She spent that time running around the outer edge of the training yard, never stopping until she was literally ready to keep over in exhaustion. After that, she took a five-minute break before starting her katas and honing her aim with kunai, shuriken, senbon, and even a tanto with the ability to channel chakra that the Uchiha included with her supply of weaponry.

In her timeline, a tanto was something she learned to use in cases of emergencies, so she was glad she would work with the weapon again in this time. She didn't dare direct her chakra into the blade; that was pushing it even for a prodigy, so she contented herself with simply working the weapon into her fighting style.

But training along was all well and good but she wanted to know how long she could last against someone who could actually challenge her. The other kids in her class, even Sasuke and Naruto, did not give her any difficulty at all.

Strangely enough, she thought of Itachi first; if anyone near her physical age group could beat her, it was the Uchiha heir, but she could barely think about him without feeling the urge to throttle him until he talked.

So, she thought on it some more and did the next best thing. She resigned herself to a lot hair-ruffling.

 **~M~**

"Shisui-san?" Sakura peered into the private training grounds Mikoto had pointed out for her.

Mikoto was correct in that Shisui was training in that area. Unfortunately, she had failed to mention that her eldest son was also training there. Sakura wondered if she knew and just hadn't told her.

"Kura-chan!" Shisui deflected a blow from Itachi before leaping back, waving at his younger cousin to stop their spar before jogging over to her. His expression was bright with genuine delight at seeing her and Sakura couldn't help but smile.

"How are you today?" Shisui crouched down in front of her and Sakura had to fight the desire to scowl at their height difference.

"Alright," She shrugged. "School was boring. Naruto's trying to one-up Sasuke again. Mikoto-san is making curry for dinner. What about you?"

"Had a small mission at the edge of Fire Country earlier but it was simple enough," Shisui replied promptly before eyeing her curiously. "Did you need me for something? Are you in trouble?"

Secretly pleased that Shisui would have been willing to help her so readily, Sakura plastered on an offended look anyway. "Why would you automatically assume I got into trouble?"

Shisui grinned cheekily at her. "I'd like to think you'd come to you knight in shining armour if you ever do get into any danger. You know I'll come to rescue a damsel in distress -ouch!"

Sakura glared at the teen in front of her, tiny fist still pulsing with chakra. "I am _not_ a damsel in distress!" She retorted. "Call me that again and you'll get more than a bump on the head."

Shisui rubbed the growing bruise at the side of his head. "Yes, ma'am," He agreed sheepishly with such a Naruto-look that Sakura sighed and reached out again to heal him.

"Honestly," She huffed, barely noticing the surprised look on Shisui's face as her chakra smoothed away the bruise with easy efficiency. "You're more childish than I am!"

Shisui smiled and ruffled her hair but there was something like wonder in his eyes as he prodded gently at his head as if he really couldn't believe he was healed, even if it was just a bruise. It took a moment for Sakura to remember that her healing abilities were something only the Council, the Hokage, and a few ANBU knew about.

"Anyway," She continued. "I just came to see if you'd be willing to spar with me but Mikoto-san didn't mention you were busy- "

"I'm not busy!" Shisui interrupted, spinning to face the so-far-silent – no surprise there – Itachi. "Hey, Tach-chan! We've been sparring for a while now. Let's take a break while I see what Kura-chan can do, 'kay?"

Itachi's expression was still as black as ever when he nodded curtly and headed over to where the rest of his gear was but Sakura got the funny feeling that he was irritated. Well, she knew she would be irritated too if someone cut into her training time with someone else. She really wasn't being fair.

"Itachi-san," Sakura called out, watching him stiffen and turn back to her. She wondered what she had done to make him dislike her so much. "I can wait until your training practice is over. I just got off school anyway. A little break before I spar won't hurt."

Itachi was silent for several seconds and his eyes flickered over her shoulder, presumably to look at Shisui. When Sakura followed his line of sight, she caught the look on the older Uchiha's face, part exasperated and part irritation.

She had absolutely no idea what was going on.

"Itachi can watch," Shisui finally announced adamantly to her confusion. To her surprise, Itachi inclined his head without protest and settled next to a tree.

"C'mon, Kura-chan," Shisui ushered her further into the training area. "Do you need to warm up first?"

Sakura shook her head, pulling on her gloves. She had left most of her weapons back at the Uchiha Main House. "I can start anytime. Taijutsu only?"

Shisui nodded, rolling his shoulders before sliding into a ready stance. Sakura mirrors his actions and only waited a heartbeat before she shot forward.

Sakura was twenty-seven in a five-year-old's body but to finally be able to let loose without worrying about harming her opponent was exhilarating. She had not been in a proper fight in far too long.

Several times, she overreached and Shisui took the opportunity to trip her up or knock her back, but for the most part, she attacked and parried and blocked with a wild grin on her face.

Shisui was fast; she already knew that, and Sakura could see him holding back for her. That frustrated her even though she was aware that she could never keep up with Shisui when he was at his fastest. Still, it chaffed at her that he was going easy on her.

So, she forced his hand. She was used to people underestimating her because of her pink hair, because she used to be weak, because she was a girl, but they also usually learned their lesson after the first few minutes and a chakra-charged fist to the face.

Sakura could reach Shisui's face so she did the next best thing; she punched the ground.

On hindsight, breaking up a Uchiha training ground probably wasn't the smartest idea but it definitely shook Shisui out of his mind as the earth cracked and broke apart under his feet.

Sakura could help the smug satisfaction that coursed through her body at the expression. She wished she had a camera on hand.

Shisui recovered quickly enough though and launched a counterattack almost immediately. Sakura ducked and tried to keep her distance but Shisui simply increased his speed and kept up with her with relative ease. He was no longer holding back.

Staggering backwards from a particularly harsh blow that she managed to deflect with her forearm, Sakura lowered her guard for the next strike, wincing when Shisui's fist cracked on of her ribs. But she took the opportunity to close her hand around his wrist, her chakra holding him in place and yanked him forward and off-balance before following through with a kick straight to the sternum. She let go of his arm simultaneously and sent the teen flying backwards into a tree.

Sakura only had a second to congratulate herself before Shisui was up and towering over her again, and before she could twist out of the way, he flashed behind her, grabbed her arms and pinned her onto the ground too fast for her to stop.

"Yield?" He gasped and Sakura nodded as she gulped in air. At least Shisui was also breathing hard and she let that mollify her somewhat as the teen let go and she rolled over to lie on her back.

Shisui was sitting up, but one of his arms was wrapped around his torso and he didn't seem like he could sit straight.

"Damn, Kura-chan!" He grimaced a little. "I almost feel sorry for that missing-nin you attacked!"

Sakura stayed on her back and pressed a hand to her ribs, healing chakra seeping through her clothes and skin and mending the bones.

"I couldn't beat you," She pointed out, trying to keep the whine out of her voice.

Shisui smiled but it looked more sombre than usual. "Kura-chan, if you had beaten me, I would be _very_ upset with myself."

Sakura just huffed and crawled over to his side. She didn't think he would be feeling that way if he knew she was actually twenty-seven and still adjusting to her current body.

"Shirt off," She ordered, slipping into medic-mode without a second thought.

Shisui just blinked at her, obviously lost.

"It's easier for me to heal without clothes in the way," Sakura clarified.

Realisation dawned in Shisui's eyes and he immediately shook his head. "You don't have to, Kura-chan!" He assured her hastily. "I'll heal on my own- "

He cut himself off when Sakura stared glowering darkly at him. She had always had to fight her sparring partners and friends to let her heal them, especially the boys, as if they were in some sort of macho contest with each other! They avoided the hospital like the plague and insisted on being fine when she could _see_ their broken bones.

"Shirt off now, Uchiha," Sakura growled. "Or I take it off for you."

Shisui stared at her for a moment longer before a sly smirk made its way onto his face. "All you had to do was ask," He began tugging off the dirty shirt. "Although don't you think you're a bit young to be- "

"I swear to god I will – I will _castrate_ you if you continue that sentence," Sakura snapped, face flaming.

Shisui just laughed as he set aside his shirt and allowed Sakura to approach. "I don't know if I should be scared or a little disturbed that you know what 'castrate' means."

Sakura snorted and concentrated on healing the damage she had wrought. It took her a good fifteen minutes to heal a cracked collarbone, three broken ribs and an ugly gash running the length of his right arm that was probably caused when she threw him into the tree.

She left the bruises and shallow cuts though because she was literally sagging with exhaustion by the time she was finished and didn't even have the strength to protest when she felt Shisui pick her up. She had deliberately pushed herself as far as possible and at least now she knew what she was capable of.

"You're really something else, Kura-chan," Shisui said from somewhere above her.

It was the last thing Sakura heard before she slipped into a tired slumber.

 **~P~**

"Why did you not stop her?" Itachi asked as he and Shisui headed back to the Main Hair.

Shisui shrugged, the motion was careful so Sakura was not disturbed.

"She wanted to heal me and I wanted to know what she could do," Shisui replied. "Which, by the way, is a hell of a lot."

"She is now suffering from chakra exhaustion," Itachi continued as if he did not hear his cousin's response. "You are endangering her life."

Shisui shot the Uchiha heir a mildly annoyed look. "I would never do something like that. If she had gone any further, I would've stopped her. She's only tired right now."

Itachi stayed moodily silent which only increased Shisui's irritation. "Honestly Itachi, would it kill you to say hello? Kura-chan thinks you hate her or something."

Itachi immediately stiffened. "I do not," He denied. "And she does not."

"How would you know?" Shisui challenged. "You don't talk to her at all and your jealousy problem is just making her think you don't want anything to do with her!"

Itachi actually stopped walking and Shisui grudgingly paused as well. He knew Itachi could be possessive about the few people close to him and having never had any friends, he would also be prone to bouts of resentment when someone else interacted with someone his cousin was interested in. But he knew Itachi was simply shutting people out with that attitude and Sakura was too cute to get hurt in the crossfire when Itachi did something stupid in retaliation.

"Look, friendship is a two-way thing," Shisui said flatly. "I know you don't have much experience in that department but you can't expect her to read your mind and just _know_ you want to be friends with her. It doesn't work like that, Itachi. If you want to befriend her, you have to let her know. Clearly. Without the assumption that she knows telepathy."

That said, Shisui turned and continued on his way, not waiting for Itachi to catch up. His little cousin would need time to think anyway.

 **~E~**

Two weeks later, Sakura was once again parked in front of a shogi board with Shikamaru on the other side. The boy was scowling fiercely at the board as if it had done him some personal offence and Sakura was trying incredibly hard not to laugh.

Shikaku, who was lazing on a tatami mat on the side, had no such compunctions and he smirked openly as he watched his son puzzle over the game.

Shikamaru shifted a rook, Sakura moved a gold general, Shikamaru took said general, and Sakura checkmated his king. Shikamaru's face fell and Shikaku chuckled outright.

Sakura just rolled her eyes at them and got to her feet to stretch out the knots in her body. The entire afternoon was gone already.

"Ah, Sakura-chan," Shikaku waved a hand in the general direction of the kitchen. "Mind getting the rest of the sake in the kitchen?" He raised the bottle in his hand. "I'm all out."

Sakura sighed but didn't complain. She'd done enough alcohol-fetching for her time's Shikaku.

She didn't notice the way Shikaku tracked her movements into the house, his eyes lingering on her feet the entire way.

 **~S~**

"Tou-san, what am I doing wrong?"

Feeling the tug on his sleeve, Shikaku turned back to his son and smirked again. "Sakura-chan's thinking several steps ahead of you. You just need experience, brat."

Shikamaru grumbled something under his breath before flopping back onto the wooden floorboards. "Sakura should be a Nara," He said stubbornly.

Shikaku could help snickering at that. "Oh? Well, if you play your cards right, marry her and she'll be a Nara."

His son shot him a horrified look before making a face. "No way! She's like- "

Shikaku raised an eyebrow when Shikamaru cut himself off. He had only been teasing but the boy had obviously taken it seriously. "Like?" He prompted.

Shikamaru scratched at a cheek before shrugging. "She's like my sister. I can't marry my sister."

Shikaku stared, inwardly surprised. "What, she's not too troublesome for you?" He finally asked.

Shikamaru considered it with absolute gravity. "She's nowhere near as troublesome as Ino," He concluded. "I like having Sakura around. She plays shogi with me and likes watching clouds with me."

Shikaku grunted and then turned to smile at their topic of conversation when Sakura returned, a bottle of sake in hand.

"Thanks," He said as she handed him the bottle. He noted the fact that Sakura had already opened it and had even wrapped a cloth around the top like Yoshino usually did because he tended to spill a little sometimes.

Moving to pour some into a cup, he enquired casually, "Do your parents drink much, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura blinked at him, obviously confused. "Um, no, Shikaku-san. They don't really like alcohol."

Shikaku 'hm'd an acknowledgement and watched discreetly as Sakura's attention diverted back to Shikamaru when his son demanded another game. The girl sighed and said one more.

She had said that three times now.

Shikaku leant back and stared up at the summer clouds. He wondered if Sakura knew how very careless she was around the Nara household. He had observed her for several weeks now and realised she was much more closed when other people were around. Even with Ino, Sakura watched what she said with a vigilance that would make an ANBU proud.

But around Shikamaru and himself and even his wife, Sakura was less wary. He supposed it was also because he was more observant than most people so he saw other signs that his friends did not pick up.

Like the way Sakura never made a sound no matter what type of floor she walked on; her footsteps were always silent. That habit was usually the mark of a person who had lived and breathed war for so long they had forgotten how to walk normally, but that didn't make sense for a five-year-old girl so Shikaku stored that information away like everything else he had noticed.

And then there was the sake. As far as he knew, only Yoshino and Airi served alcohol along with a cloth because, in their opinion, he and Inoichi couldn't drink without spilling like three-year-old's. It was not so surprising if other people did that as well but he highly doubted Sakura had worked in a bar recently. And if her parents didn't drink, Shikaku didn't know where she would have picked up the knowledge of how to open sake bottles.

There are other discrepancies like the way she navigated the Nara compound with the ease of someone who had lived there for years. Sakura never had to ask for directions to, well, _anywhere_ , not to the bathroom, not to the kitchen, not even to the stables where any sick deer stayed. Shikaku once witnessed Shikamaru tell the girl to meet him there, pointing only in it's general direction before hurrying off to finish his chores. Shikaku had followed at an inconspicuous distance, just in case she took a wrong turn, but she never did. She had made a beeline for the stables, pausing only to greet Rikumaru who was grazing on the fields. Even from the distance Shikaku had lingered at, he could see how Sakura greeted the deer like an old friend. Rikumaru, who was typically wary around strangers, had stood still when Sakura hugged him.

Contrary to popular belief, the Naras couldn't _actually_ understand deer like Inuzukas could with dogs but Shikaku knew enough about animals in general to realise they were a lot more intelligent than people usually gave them credit for. He had joined Rikumaru after Sakura disappeared from view that day and posed a remark of how troublesome it was that Rikumaru seemed to have taken a liking to pink-haired girls. Rikumaru had huffed a breath and shook his head and Shikaku had gotten the impression that the deer was laughing at him.

A part of Shikaku wanted to go to the Hokage with all this. After all, no matter how you looked at the situation, the circumstances surrounding Haruno Sakura were suspicious at best.

But another part of him wanted to wait, wanted to cling on to the hope that there was a very good reason for all the inconsistencies, because he liked having the girl around. Somehow, Sakura just fitted into his family and that became all the clearer after what his son had said.

"Honey? Shikamaru?"

Shikaku automatically smiled when he heard his wife's voice even as another voice in his mind sighed 'troublesome' with resigned fondness. Shikamaru perked up a little and grinned at his mother when Yoshino appeared at the porch door.

Yoshino smiled back at both of them before surprised delight seeped into her features. "Sakura-chan! Playing shogi again?"

Shikaku watched, silent and contemplative, as Sakura smiled brightly up at his wife, genuine happiness spreading over her face as she talked to Yoshino.

He downed the rest of his sake and made up his mind.

He would hold his tongue and wait and see where his decision took him. It was a gamble; after all, unlikely though it was, Sakura could be an infiltrator or even possessed, no matter how thoroughly he had checked for both – his instincts told him it was the right choice and it had yet to lead him astray.

He had no doubt that Sakura was involved in something, but if whatever that something was turned out to be something good and he got her tossed into prison and or executed instead, Shikaku was fairly certain his wife and son would never forgive him, which they would have every right to. He was reasonably sure he wouldn't forgive himself either.

On the other hand, if that something turned out to be bad and his village paid for it, he would equally guilty of treason, aiding and abetting, and several other troublesome charges that would probably get _him_ put to death. Should that happen, Shikaku wasn't likely to forgive himself either, so, he reasoned, he might as well pick the option that he, his family, his gut and his conscience agreed with.

"Stay for dinner, Sakura-chan," Yoshino commanded, already bustling back into the house.

Sakura jumped up and ignored Shikamaru's complaints as she hurried after Yoshino. "Then I insist on helping," She called out. "I'm good in the kitchen."

Yoshino's reply wasn't audible but Shikaku knew his wife was quite glad. The best he and Shikamaru could do in the kitchen was boil water and make sandwiches.

"Tou-san,"

Shikaku glanced at his son whose features had taken on a rare sombre expression. "What is it?"

"Sakura isn't all that troublesome," Shikamaru said, his gaze as intense as Shikaku's own when he was concentrating on something important. "It'd be nice if she stuck around."

Shikaku tilted his head and contemplated his son for a while longer but Shikamaru had already turned back to the shogi board, clearly planning out his next move.

Shikaku wondered how much his son saw but knew he wouldn't get a straight answer. Shikamaru was too much like him in that respect.

With a sigh, he gathered up the sake and cups, and headed inside. On the contrary, he thought Sakura was very troublesome, if only because Shikaku felt he had done more work since meeting the girl than he usually would have in six months, but at the very least, he had also made things interesting.

For now, Shikaku would stay silent and watch, prayed he had made the right decision.

 **~T~**

Genma recognised her immediately when she walked by the bar he was frequenting, weighed down with an armful of scrolls. How could he not when he had spent the better part of six months watching her along with Naruto?

"Genma?" Kameko, the woman he was with, shot him a sultry look that, for once, didn't really interest the senbon wielder. Instead, he 'hm'd distractedly and glanced up at the sky outside. It was getting dark and a rare summer storm seemed to be rolling in.

"Genma!" That time, the woman's voice was sharper, obviously annoyed that Genma wasn't paying any attention to her.

Genma stifled a sigh and shot her an apologetic look. "Sorry, sweetheart," He wracked his brain for an excuse. "I just remembered a meeting with the Hokage I have to get to; gotta run. Drinks on me another day?"

He paid the bill for them even as Kameko opened her mouth to voice her indignation but Genma was already halfway out the bar. He had only met the woman a few days ago; he didn't particularly care if he saw her again or not.

On the other hand, the girl was already turning a corner down the street so he broadened his strides into a light jog and hurried after her, keeping his eyes on the bobbing pink hair.

He almost crashed into her when he turned the corner and hastily backed away in the face of the accusing green eyes staring up at him over the top of the scrolls.

"Are you a pervert?" The girl demanded.

Genma was hard-pressed not to let his jaw drop and he almost chocked on his senbon. " _What?"_ He spluttered. "Of course not! I'm- "

He stopped when the hard edge in the girl's eyes melted and was replaced by amusement as she began to giggle.

"You-!" Genma's shoulders relaxed and he found himself smiling back as he considered the successful trick she had managed to pull. "Brat."

She stopped laughing and shifted the scrolls into one arm before sticking out the other. "I'm Sakura, but you already know that. It's nice to meet you."

Genma frowned even as he shook her hand, a niggling suspicion spared in his mind. "And I would know that because?"

The girl tilted her head. "Because you're Crow-san, of course. Your chakra signatures are the same."

Genma really should have been surprised but he hadn't spent months observing Haruno Sakura just to be taken aback by the fact that a five-year-old child managed to pick up his chakra signature when he was decked in ANBU gear, especially after he talked to her that one time.

"Hm," Genma smiled at her around his senbon. "Well then, I'm Genma. Nice to meet you too. Properly."

Sakura grinned and shuffled the scrolls a little. Genma quickly reached out and took two-thirds of the pile.

"I'll walk you home," He offered at Sakura's questioning look.

Sakura grinned again as they began walking. "Just like always."

Genma chuckled. That was true. When it was his rotation on Naruto duty, he had fallen into the habit of letting his partner shadow Naruto home while he did the same for Sakura.

"How're your studies coming along?" He asked as they turned down a quieter street.

"Spectacularly," Sakura replied dryly. "Fabulously, wonderfully, marvellously; take your pick. Daikoku-sensei's used them all."

Genma snickered a bit. "Funeno's always been a bit dramatic, especially with the Uchihas. He's got a lot of…admiration for them so you should be proud that you've managed to catch his attention."

Sakura scoffed. "Wish he'd stop; it's embarrassing. The other kids hate me enough as it is." She paused and then hastily tacked on, "I'm not complaining, really. It's just an observation. I have Naruto and Sasuke, and I have Ino and Shika and Chouji outside of school. I've got plenty of friends."

Genma just nodded silently because he knew she wasn't complaining. He had watched her when she was at the Academy; apparently, Naruto and Sasuke really were all she needed.

Instead, another thought struck him, one that had been on his mind on and off ever since the incident.

"I never apologised for that missing-nin disaster," Genma glanced down at the pink-haired girl. "You shouldn't have had to do that. We were close by."

Sakura shrugged carelessly. "You've got nothing to be sorry about; it's just one of those things. Besides, it's not me you're supposed to be guarding, remember? I can take care of myself just fine."

Genma didn't really know what to say to that so he just nodded again. From the missing-nin's medical report, Sakura _could_ take care of herself _and_ her friends, but he still hated the fact that he had let his guard drop low enough for an enemy to get close enough to take a shot at any of the kids. Sakura may be a prodigy but she hadn't even entered the Academy yet back then. Having to draw blood like that wasn't something Genma could approve of, even if it did mostly get the whole 'first kill' issue over with. He was fairly certain the girl did know the missing-nin was still alive.

"Well, we're here," Sakura announced and Genma glanced up at the house he had grown familiar with. "Thanks for walking me home."

Genma smiled down at her and handed her back the scrolls. "No problem. I'll see you around, brat."

Genma waited until Sakura disappeared into her house before turning away. He considered heading back to the bar but decided to go home in the end.

He remembered the rumour going around that Sakura would graduate in a year – he had no doubt that she would – and he wondered which sensei she would get when she did.

A fleeting thought entered his mind but he pushed it away. He had too much to do to even _consider_ taking on a team of brats, even if he actually _liked_ one of those brats.

* * *

AN: Hello again, lovelies,

I hope you're all doing well. This chapter was a monster to finish rewriting. But I would like to remind everyone that I can't take credit for these beautiful chapters, they have been adopted from the original author cywsaphyre; all I did was change the tense to suit my writing style.

A guest asked me why I couldn't post all the chapters all in one go and fortunately and unfortunately had changed they website's format a little while ago that prevents people from copying and pasting in order to prevent plagiarising. I also personally wanted to slowly build up trust with cywsaphyre's community that I am dedicated to writing out each chapter and continue with their story while respecting their wishes in regards to adopting their stories.

A little news, the next chapter will be the last of the rewritten chapters and you can all get hyped up for new content. Hopefully, I don't botch it hehehe.

I've also written a new story called A Spark of Humanity which you can find on my profile. It's an Obito/Sakura AU with artistic help from tumblr user Yomigaeru. Lovely person and amazing artist and definitely deserves all the love.

And if you're interested in a bit more content or want to ask for more content in the form of shorts, plothole questions or just want to say hi, you can find me over on tumblr kuchia-chan. I promise I don't bite 3

And I'll see you in the next chapter

-Chia 3


	6. Chapter 6: Conflict and Conclusions

Tucking a medical scroll under her arm, Sakura locked up her house and headed out for the day. For once, there was no school, no Naras, no Naruto and Sasuke, and no other friends to meet up with. She had the entire day to herself.

She continued to believe that right up to the point when she unlocked her garden gate.

And then she stopped.

"Good morning, Sakura-san," Itachi said impassively.

It actually took a few seconds for Sakura to register the fact that Itachi had spoken _out loud_.

"Uh," She replied intelligently.

A long minute passed, stressed with silence.

"Good…morning?" She finally returned, inwardly cringing at the audible question mark at the end.

Itachi seemed satisfied though because the intensity of his gaze lessened somewhat even though he continued watching her.

Sakura scanned the standard shinobi gear the Uchiha was wearing and wondered why he wasn't training or on a mission. More importantly, she wondered why he was standing outside her house at eight in the morning.

"Can I help you, Itachi-san?" She finally asked when it was clear Itachi wasn't going to say anything.

Itachi blinked and the set of his shoulders shifted a little. "I would be pleased to make your acquaintance, Sakura-san."

Sakura just stared. _What?_

Most likely seeing the lost look on her face, Itachi tried again. "I would like to gain your friendship."

…? …?

Sakura's mind was literally blank for several moment but she was more dumbfounded than confused as the seconds ticked by. Itachi wanted to be…friends with her? If she didn't know any better, she thought it was a joke.

When she recovered, the first thing that came out of her mouth was, "That was blunt."

She flushed a little at her own candour but neither of them could deny the truth of the statement.

Itachi tilted his head a little. "Shisui said I should make my intentions clear to you," A miniscule frown creased his brow. "Have I done so?"

Sakura couldn't help gaping at him. So, Itachi didn't hate her? Then, what was with all the frowns and stiff nods and stony silence?  
"Are you serious?" She couldn't help blurting out, and then quickly amended, "Nobody says things like that just because…"

Sakura trailed off as a thought stuck her. Itachi had told her that he was following Shisui's instructions. So, either Itachi was going along with a prank, which Sakura just couldn't see happening, or the Uchiha heir was really just completely clueless on how to go about making friends.

Itachi was still staring at her but Sakura could pick up the same brittle quality in Itachi's eyes as she once did in Naruto's and Sai's and even Sasuke's when he thought no one was looking, the one that spoke of uncertainty and fear of not being accepted and just the smallest shadow of longing, like he wanted her company but wasn't sure how to go about getting it.

And she wanted to slap herself.

 _Haruno Sakura,_ she scolded herself mentally. _How could you not see this coming? A child prodigy from the Uchiha Clan could no doubt receive resentment from teammates and colleagues alike, but they would hide it because of what he represents. Where would he ever learn how to make friends?_

So, she forgot all her previous frustration to the emotionally stunted heir and focussed on the patience that she had built up when dealing with her boys. She did the first thing that came to mind.

Waving a hand in the general direction of the open street, Sakura asked brightly, "I haven't eaten breakfast yet. Wanna go get ramen with me?"

If she hadn't already been looking for the signs, Sakura would have missed the slight widening of Itachi's eyes and then the minutes relacing of the tightness of his jaw.

He didn't answer verbally but Sakura supposed it was alright since he had already proven to be willing to speak to her, not to mention she did understand his wordless replied, so when he only inclined his head, Sakura didn't reprimand her brain for translating: _Yes, I would like that_.

Itachi wasn't on for talking, so Sakura filled in the silence and chattered on about the week she had had and told him about the medical texts she had been reading so far. Itachi never cut in with his own opinions or even looked at her but by the way his head was turned just a little towards Sakura, she knew he was listening.

Ten minutes later, they were seated in Ichiraku Ramen and Sakura was trying her hardest not to laugh as they waited for their orders. She supposed with Itachi being Itachi, the Uchiha heir wasn't exactly one to take the time to wander through the streets of Konoha. The fact that he was having breakfast out in the open was so unprecedented that it seemed to have shocked most of the population into stares and whispers.

"You really don't get out much, do you?" Sakura asked dryly as Itachi blinked owlishly at the bowl of ramen Teuchi-san had placed in front of him. She flashed a smile at the chef when her own miso ramen was produced before turning back to Itachi. "Don't tell me you've never had ramen before."

Itachi gave her a look and Sakura blanched. "Really? You've _never_ had ramen before?"

"Uchihas don't eat ramen," Itachi said blandly.

"Sasuke does," Sakura reminded him.

"Sasuke is friends with Uzumaki-kun," Itachi countered.

Sakura chew on her noodles for a bit. "Fair enough," She allowed after swallowing a bite. "But so, does Shisui-san,"

Itachi gave her another look, this time one that was equal part reproach and deadpan amusement. "Shisui is an anomaly. He does not count."

Sakura blinked at him, chopsticks halfway to her mouth, before she laughed and nodded in agreement. "There is that. He really isn't much like the rest of you Uchihas."

They sat in a comfortable silence as they ate the rest of their meals but when they finished, they spent several minutes arguing over who would pay what.

"I can pay for myself, Itachi-san," Sakura insisted stubbornly, already digging into her weapons pouch.

"It is simple courtesy for me to pay for your share as well," Itachi maintained adamantly, whipping out a plain black wallet before Sakura could even find hers.

"No, it's chauvinistic," Sakura retorted, ignoring the fact that she probably shouldn't know a word like 'chauvinistic'. She was in the company of a fellow prodigy after all. "And you're nine. If we were both several years older and you were my boyfriend, then I'd _consider_ letting you pay."

Itachi didn't look even mildly perturbed. "It is unbecoming for a man to let a female companion pay for a meal when it is he who takes her out to eat."

Sakura put her hands on her hips and glared at Itachi. "Okay, one, you're not a man yet, no offense to your ego. Two, _I'm_ the one who asked _you_ to eat breakfast with me. And three, _if you put that money on the counter, I'll kick your ass from here to Suna!"_

That was apparently enough to give Itachi pause as his hand halted an inch from the table, halfway through the process of placing the appropriate amount of money down.

Sakura smirked triumphantly but it slipped off her face when Itachi enquired, "I do not believe that to be possible. From your spar with Shisui, I have deduced that you are not yet on part with me."

Sakura's mind blanked for about three seconds before she channelled Inner and her temper exploded because it was such a _Sasuke_ thing to say and the tiny bit of her that still remembered that twelve-year-old Sakura reared its head.

"Oh, that is _it_ , Uchiha!" Sakura snapped, finally fished out her own money and slammed it down on the counter with almost enough strength to crack it. "We're going to fight and I'm going to show you just how on par with you I am!"

Itachi barely had time to drop a few coins for his own meal before Sakura grabbed his arm and hauled him out of the stand, dragging him in the direction of the nearest training groups. Itachi may be stronger overall at the moment – but Sakura's strength was only rivalled by Tsunade.

Neither noticed Teuchi shaking his head as they left. "Poor kid," He muttered, sweeping the money off the counter. "Don't those Uchihas teach their children not to anger women in general?"

 **~T~**

For his part, Itachi had no idea what he had done wrong. His mother had always lectured him on the importance of being a gentleman but Sakura had not reacted to his actioned the way he expected. Mulling over the last few minutes, Itachi let Sakura dragged him through the street of Konoha and didn't notice the varying looks of astonishment and disbelief crossed shinobi and civilian faces alike as he was led to the training grounds like a puppy on a leash.

Sakura was very independent, he could acknowledge that, and she never let Shisui coddle her in a spar, often forcing his cousin to fight seriously. So, perhaps he should have treated her as an equal and let her pay for her own share? But just because he offered to pay for her didn't mean he saw her as anything less. He had seen her fight Shisui after all; her abilities made even him wary.

"Alright, let's spar!" Sakura announced, dropping his arm when they reached the first training area.

Itachi arched his eyebrow in silent question. _Is this really necessary?_

She understood him, of course, something he had never figured out how. Only his mother had ever been able to interpret all of his gestures.

"Damn right it is!" She responded hotly, already tucking her medical scroll away.

Itachi frowned and crossed his arms. He had originally planned to befriend her. Fighting didn't seem particularly productive in reaching that goal.

"No," He said and watched as one of Sakura's eyebrows twitched.

"What do you mean 'no'?" She growled.

"I mean I will no fight you," Itachi clarified, which only made the twitch worse.

"Why not?" Sakura snarled indignantly. "You think I'm too weak to take you on- "

That was so far from the truth that Itachi disregarded decorum and cut her off. "I do not believe that," He assured her. "I have seen you spar with Shisui. Your abilities in taijutsu is formidable, your skill with medical ninjutsu even more so. It would be foolish for anyone to underestimate you."

That left Sakura gaping for reasons Itachi wasn't sure about. He was only speaking the truth; why was she so surprised?

"But- But what about what you said back in Ichiraku's?" She spluttered. "You were all 'you'll never be on par with me 'cause I'm Uchiha Itachi'!"

The last part was stated in a crude mimic of his voice and Itachi could help twitching a little as well. "I did not," He denied. "I said you were not yet on par with me, and you are not. Your stamina still needs work. But when your chakra reserves build up enough, not even Shisui's speed will prevent you from defeating him."

Sakura gawked at him some more and Itachi waited patiently for her to speak.  
"Oh," She said after a long moment. "So…you don't think I'm weak?"

Itachi regarded her with some puzzlement. "Why would I?" He asked, which only seemed to make her brighten more. "I am not so thoughtless as to believe you would pose no challenge for me even right now, much less when you have built up your stamina."

He paused and then felt it would probably be better if he made amends now regarding earlier. "And if you insist on paying for yourself, I will agree to split the cost of our meals from now on. Even if one meal costs more than the other."

"Oh," She said again, this time much more cheerfully. Her arms dropped back to her side and her stand relaxed, absently reminding Itachi of an offended cat calming down. "Well, that's alright then, I can work with that. Sorry about just now."

She smiled sheepishly at him and Itachi blinked at the sudden change in demeanour. "You do not wish to fight anymore?"

She waved a dismissive hand and jogged back over to his side. "Nah, not in the mood. Wanna just walk around a bit?"

Itachi nodded in agreement, feeling a little dazed at Sakura's seemingly fluctuating disposition. But she wasn't angry anymore; more importantly, she wasn't angry at him and Itachi had managed to calm her down all by himself. He thought that was an accomplishment worth being proud of in and of itself.

The rest of the day was spent in the library and Itachi actually found himself interested in what Sakura had to say. She was cheerful and enthusiastic when she talked, and her knowledge of medicine was more in-depth than anyone he knew. Granted, he had never been particularly fascinated by medical ninjutsu and really only knew the basic healing all shinobi eventually learned but he couldn't help feeling a little awed at how much knowledge was stored away in Sakura's mind. She would become a powerful kunoichi, that he already knew, but he thought she would be an even more formidable medic-nin.

"Thanks for listening to me babble all day, Itachi-san," Sakura grinned up at him and he nodded stoically in response as they stopped in front of her house.

Sakura rolled her eyes and muttered something he couldn't quite pick up but her chakra didn't spike so he was fairly certain he was still safe. He still remembered the last time Shisui pushed Sakura too far. The pink-haired Academy student had put him through the floor with one fist. Even Itachi had been hard-pressed not to laugh.

"I have a training session with Shisui-san tomorrow so I'll see you then?" She ended on a questioning note and Itachi nodded again. He didn't have any missions scheduled for the next few days, although that might have been because he hadn't asked for any recently. Well, his mother was always telling him to cut back a little.

When she waved and made to turn away, Itachi quickly intercepted her. "Sakura-san, how far along am I in gaining your friendship?"

Sakura stared at him before her mouth twitched just a little. She was clearly amused but her green eyes softened considerably. "I thought we were already friends," She said and a genuine smile spread over her features without reluctance.

Itachi opened his mouth to say something but for once, he was unprepared and he ended up closing it again, mildly embarrassed.

Sakura just giggled and waved at him in farewell. "Call me Sakura, Itachi-san. I'll see you tomorrow."

And before Itachi could return her parting gesture, before he could tell her _call me Itachi_ , she had disappeared into her house.

For a long minute, Itachi stayed standing in front of her house. When he finally turned away, a small smile had made its way onto his face.

He had had fun today, which didn't happen often. And it seemed he had made a friend as well, which had _never_ happened.

All in all, it had been a very good day.

 **~E~**

"Are you serious, Fugaku? We have been planning this for years and you wish to forget everything now?"

Fugaku bit back a sigh and concentrated on _not_ glaring at the Clan Elders. That was a first because he was usually on their side, but even he had to admit that his recent actions had been uncharacteristic at best.

"I am simply proposing to put further thoughts of the coup on hold," Fugaku explained, ignoring the dubious looks all around him. "After what happened to the Hyuuga Clan, it was unwise to provoke unrest within the village. Konoha will be seen as weak to the other countries."

"Fugaku!" One elder cut in sharply. "It is not Konoha we should be worrying about! The village is prosperous enough but the Uchiha Clan is the exact opposite. We must act, and soon!"

Fugaku levelled the Elder with a cool gaze. "The Uchiha Clan is, I believe, more valued to this village than I previously thought."

Discontented murmurs swept the room but Fugaku forged on before anyone could interrupt. "Recent dealings with the other clan heads has led me to reconsider their stance on this clan. It seems to me that they are no as against us as I originally believed them to be."

"And what exactly has led you to that conclusion?" An Elder on the far side of the room enquired, dark eyes hard.

Fugaku was relieved that they were at least willing to hear him out, no matter how reluctantly. "They supported me in a recent petition I had to bypass the village Elders with," Fugaku explained. "Once I gave them sufficient reason to support my cause, they aided my request and saw it through to the end."

"Are you speaking of the Uzumaki boy?" Another Elder asked, voice frigid. "Why you took on such a burden I will never comprehend but the other clans could very well have their own motives for aiding you. That is not an adequate basis to stop all places for a coup!"

"Then what is?" Fugaku countered just as icily. He had never really noticed before but his clan was very cold. Maybe he just never wanted to notice. "It was still a decision needed to pass through the Council and one that would benefit with all the clans' agreement. It was a decision like any other decision."

"It was not for the good of the Uchiha Clan," The Elders' nose flared, the only outward sign of anger. "What benefit does representing that demon have, I would like to know!"

Fugaku tightened his jaw to reign in the sudden burst of rage inside him. He had never gone out of his way to look out for Uzumaki Naruto but after so many months of watching the boy interact with his son and Sakura, some…obligation on his behalf had appeared. Minato had been a close friend once upon a time and he didn't like the way people treated the man's only child.

But the Elders didn't know any of that and Fugaku didn't have the clearance to tell them so he used their fear against them instead.

"And you think the boy wouldn't notice all the resentment and hatred directed at him?" Fugaku challenged. "If the seal ever fails, wouldn't the Kyuubi have a much easier time in the taking over if the boy feels no loyalty to this village at all? And would it not be better if our clan holds more of a place for him than it previously did?"

The law banned people from talking about the issue; however, within his own compound and without any members of the younger generation present, Fugaku didn't really care since he was using the information to defend the boy.

There were gasps and mutters from all directions and Fugaku let them talk. He didn't want to bring Sakura into it unless it was absolutely necessary. While she did owe a debt to the Uchiha Clan as a whole, he didn't want the Clan Elders to know that because even they were impressed with Sakura's skills and they would exploit her debt in as large a capacity as possible.

Sakura had left an echo of herself in his thoughts. Perhaps it was because he along was consciously aware of just how much influence she had had on his recent actions or perhaps it was something else entirely, but Fugaku could help the seed of – he couldn't call it anything else – blind faith he had in her.

Either way, he wanted – needed – to save that debt for a rainy day because ever since Sakura got him thinking on that fateful evening, something a lot like dread had been knocking insistently against his attention, telling him that the path the Uchiha Clan was going down was not at all safe or wise. And if a time ever came when the Uchiha Clan would need to be saved from itself, Fugaku would need all the help he could get.

"Perhaps it is wiser decision than we originally thought," One Elder finally acknowledged grudgingly. Uchihas did not like yielding to anyone, even to other Uchihas. "But it is still not enough. Should the village turn against out clan, we must be ready."

"We were planning to attack even before Konoha showed signs of blatant hatred," Fugaku retorted sharply. "And what good is civil war if it only draws the entire village into another shinobi war with another country? We would be destroyed anyway."

Another wave of murmurs swept the room but Fugaku didn't wait for anymore complaints. He was tired of their protests. He did not understand why they did not see what he saw, but then again, he had not seen the bigger picture either before Sakura came along.

"This is my final decision," Fugaku said firmly, raising to his feet. "For now, plans for the coup will be placed aside. Instead, perhaps the Uchiha Clan would benefit more from creating stronger ties to the other clans of Konoha."

On that dismissive note, Fugaku turned and vacated the room. He was quite sure most if not all his Elders were still unhappy with his verdict but he also knew that he had given them something to think about. At least that would put them off for a little while.

 **~M~**

Neither Inoichi nor Ibiki had gotten much out of the Iwa missing-nin in the past few months. Even Anko at her worst had had little effect and they were forced to conclude that the missing-nin was exactly what Inoichi managed to find out from the man's mind.

"Just a missing-nin who thought it would be a brilliant idea to kidnap the Uchiha's second son," Inoichi muttered as he filed away the most recent paperwork for the captured nin. Damn, he hated paperwork. He had no idea how Sarutobi did it on a daily basis.

Glancing up, he frowned at a stack piled neatly on the right between two other stacks. He was fairly certain that was new. Picking up the top sheet, his eye twitched.

"Shikaku, you bastard!" He snapped aloud even though he knew the man was probably halfway home by now. "How many times do I have to tell you to do you own damn paperwork? We're not even in the same department!"

"You've known his habits for years, Inoichi," A familiar voice said from the door. "You should be used to them by now."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," Inoichi grumbled, not bothering to turn as Chouza entered the room. "He only ever gets worked up when a disaster hits Konoha."

Chouza chuckled but the sound died faster than usual and Inoichi glanced up with a frown. "What's wrong?"

The Akimichi Clan Head looked uncharacteristically frustrated. "The missing-nin you interrogated a few weeks back; he's gone."

Inoichi was on his feet in an instant. " _What?_ What do you mean he's _gone?_ He's locked up in our holding cells waiting to be deported back to Iwa!"

"Well, he's escaped," Chouza said shortly. "That's what Shikaku's doing right now. He's sent out some Jounin around the village and the Chuunin at the gats swear blind that no one's come or gone all day." He paused, and then grinned dryly, "Except one was sleeping when Shikaku got there and the other looked about ready to drift off."

Studying Inoichi's growing disbelief, Chouza added with resigned amusement, "Oh, and just so it wouldn't be a shock, the Hokage's hopping mad, someone's gone and spray painted the Hokage Monument hot pink, and it just after Academy hours at the moment. We've got kids _everywhere_."

Inoichi slapped his forehead before moving to grab his coat.

"It's going to be one of those days, isn't it?" He asked rhetorically as he followed Chouza to the door.

Chouza just laughed despite the situation.

 **~P~**

"Can someone please explain to me how a four-year-old kid can spray paint the Yondaime pink in broad daylight during school hours while being tailed by ANBU and all without getting caught? And don't tell me it's not the boy; _everyone_ knows it's him."

Shikaku was fuming – as much as a Nara could fume anyway – so Chouza did his best to chase away his friend's irritation. The Jounin Commander had been running around all afternoon trying to keep track of his Jounin spread out throughout the village and making sure the missing-nin hadn't killed off any civilians yet. Needless to say, the man was more than a little annoyed, especially seeing as the Hokage had originally given Shikaku a day off today.

Shikaku sighed and waved a hand at a group of Jounin. "I don't care what it takes; just find the missing-nin. Capturing him is preferable but kill him if necessary. Spread the search to the eastern gates."

The Jounin darted off and Shikaku turned to Chouza and Inoichi with another sigh. "We have to find him," Shikaku said grimly. "I want one of you at the western gates and on at the southern. I already have Shiranui and Mitarashi at the main gates," A slightly humorous but wry smile twisted his lips as he gestured at the head of the Yondaime. "If nothing else, I don't want the missing-nin spreading word about that pink monstrosity to the rest of the world. Konoha would never live it down and that's just too troublesome to even think about."

Inoichi snickered as Chouza smothered a smile and asked, "What about you?"

The smile faded from Shikaku's face as he twirled a kunai in one hand. "I'm going to find Sakura-chan," He said curtly. "She's the one who got him captured. If the missing-nin decides on revenge, he'll be heading straight for her."

"She's probably with the Uzumaki boy," Inoichi pointed out. "There'll be ANBU around."

A dark frown creased Shikaku's brow even as he turned away. "Yeah, I hear they did a great job last time."

And then he was gone, flitting over the rooftops in the Academy's direction.

Chouza met Inoichi's mildly stunned glance and suggested calmly while supressing another amused smile, "I imagine that's what Shikaku would eb like if he had a daughter."

Inoichi just shook his head. "He only gets sarcastic when he's stressed and that doesn't happen often. It's just a bit of a shock."

They departed with a nod at each other and Shunshined off to their assigned positions. Neither of them knew Sakura as well as Shikaku but the girl was a good influence on their children – Ino had become more responsible; Chouji had become more confident – and that was enough for them to worry about Sakura as well.

 **~E~**

Sakura was sparring in the Academy's training yard with both Naruto and Sasuke at the same time – they had long since accepted the fact that she was stronger than both of them – when she sensed him. Both boys were panting when she called a stop to their spar, and she didn't waste any time in grabbing their hands and dragging them off to the side into the shadow of the Academy walls.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto's eyes were curious as he peered at their surroundings. "What's wrong?"

"Remember what I taught you about sensing chakra signatures?" Sakura murmured, her eyes were focused on the rooftops as the hostile signature drew closer. "See if you can sense him."

Both Naruto and Sasuke obeyed, closing their eyes to concentrate. Sasuke got it first and his eyes snapped back open as he clutched at Sakura's hand in a tighter grip.

"That's him, isn't it?" Sasuke whispered, eyes widened as his brow creased in recollection. "That's the man who tried to kidnap me. I thought he was caught!"

"He must've escaped," Sakura said grimly as Naruto opened his eyes as well, looking uncharacteristically solemn. Both boys were already hiding their chakra signals as best they could and Sakura had already tucked hers away but she knew it wasn't enough to fool the missing-nin.

"Naruto," She glanced at the blond on her right. "Any shortcuts that can get us to the Uchiha compound from here?" She knew Naruto knew Konoha like no one else even as a child.

Naruto spun around, squinting towards the left before gesturing to them. "Yeah, this way. C'mon."

Neither Sakura nor Sasuke hesitated as they hurried after the blond and weaved out of the school, pausing only to grab their bags. Sakura made sure to take up the rear. Last time she managed to catch the missing-nin off guard but she was fairly certain she would only be able to hold him back for so long now that he knew what she was capable of, not to mention she had two kids to protect this time.

The presence drew closer and Sakura whipped out her kunai as they continued to run, keeping to the shadows of the alleyways as Naruto lead them through Konoha.

"Keep going!" Sakura only had time to shout to her boys before the missing-nin was bearing down on her. She brought her kunai up just in time to block the downward punch of a metal gauntlet.

"Sakura-chan!" "Sakura!"

She heard her teammates cry out in alarm and the reminder that they were the ones who needed protection and it gave her enough strength to shove the missing-nin back.

Her opponent was missing teeth and was splattered with blood, the haggard air of a torture victim hung over him. Sakura watched him warily, not daring to take her eyes off of him as she called over her shoulder, "Naruto, Sasuke, keep going. I'll hold him off."

The missing-nin released an ugly hacking laugh but it was her boys' immediate responses that frightened her.

"No way!" Naruto's stubborn reply set Sakura's teeth on edge and she tried not to lose her temper right then and there. "We need to protect you, Sakura-chan!"

"Yeah," Sasuke agreed. "We can't just leave you here."

Normally, she treated these sentiments with indulgent amusement but right now, she simply wanted to scream at them for being idiots or kick their asses for thinking her weak.

Because she was currently contemplating kicking the missing-nin's ass, Sakura picked the former. "YOU IDIOTS!" She snarled. "I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DON'T RUN NOW I AM GOING TO KICK YOUR SORRY ASSES AROUND THE TRAINING GROUND AND _ENJOY_ IT!"

She didn't hear their answer because the enemy-nin was surging forward again and Sakura needed all her senses to keep up. She ducked under the first swipe and jabbed forward with a kunai, she took satisfaction when she drew blood. But it was a shallow wound and her opponent didn't even seem to notice as he came in swinging again.

A set of senbon came flying in from her left and she caught Sasuke circling around the missing-nin out of the corner of her eye. The shinobi dodged them and caught one before flinging it back to Sasuke, who was too slow to move out of the way in time and Sakura had to yank out a shuriken to deflect it.

"Damn it!" She swore as the missing-nin turned malevolent eyes on his target. "Hey, eyes on me, bastard!" She yelled, snapping a kunai at him. It sliced his cheek open and embedded itself into the wall behind him but it was enough to turn the man's attention back on her.

"No, over here!" Naruto shouted and Sakura would've hut him if he was close enough. Naruto's kunai was snatched out of the air and the missing-nin grinned.

"NARUTO, SASUKE, GET BEHIND ME! NOW!" Sakura roared, very much at the end of her patience. Her voice cracked just a little, still too high-pitched to sound all that commanding but the authority in it was unmistakable and both boys rushed to her side, both looked frightened and confused and still obstinately defiant.

Under any other circumstances, Sakura would've hugged them.

But she had bigger problems right now and she barely managed to block the missing-nin's new blow, muscles shook at the sheer weight of her opponent's strength. Grimacing, she snapped out one foot and caught the man in the groin. The enemy-nin moved back just enough to merely grunt and stagger bac but at least it gave Sakura a breather.

"I just want the boy," The missing-nin growled, eyes flickering to Sasuke.

"Over my dead body," Sakura snapped back instantly, blinking sweat out of her eyes as she levelled her remaining kunai at him. She didn't understand why her opponent wanted Sasuke so badly. If she was in his place, she would have made escaping the village her top priority.

The missing-nin shrugged. "Suits me fine. Still have to pay you back." A bloody sneer twisted his lips and before Sakura could blink, the man had shot forward, one hand wrapping around her wrist. With a jerk and a loud snap, Sakura's wrist snapped and her kunai tumbled out of her suddenly numb fingers.

She couldn't quite bite back the cry of pain that tore itself from her throat but she still had enough presence of mind to last out with her other fist. It caught the missing-nin, who probably thought Sakura would have gone down after a broken bone, square in the gut, deliberately putting the right amount of chakra in it to shut down his kidneys and liver. The man howled as he was thrown backwards, crashing into a brick wall with a satisfying crunch.

To Sakura's dismay, the enemy-nin clambered to his feet again within seconds, one arm wrapped around his stomach and an enraged grimace on his features.

"Stupid little bitch!" The missing-nin spat out, and Sakura just managed to turn and throw herself over Naruto and Sasuke as a kunai came flying at them with lethal speed. Her superior strength brought them all down to the ground but she winces as the metal blade skimmed her back. It was only a scratch though so she didn't spare the injury any thought as she rolled over and found the missing-nin towering over them.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto was tugging at her shirt, still trying to somehow tuck her behind him and away from danger, and Sasuke was clutching at her good arm as if that alone would hide her from view, and Sakura didn't know whether to be exasperated or pissed. Already furious with her five-year-old body for being next to useless, pissed sounded like a good idea so she dug in her elbow into whatever parts of their bodies she could reach to shut them up.

"Looks like you get your wish after all," The enemy cackled, picking up the kunai Sakura had dropped earlier.

Sakura glared, her brain was screaming for help, Inner was raging inside her and she lifted a foot and bought it back down with an ear-splitting crack. The ground under them shook and the missing-nin lurched on the spot, momentarily thrown off-balance, but it was enough.

Out of nowhere, a kunai came flying out, metal glinting in the afternoon sunlight as it found its mark in the missing-nin's neck. The weapon slammed into the shinobi with so much fury behind it that he was literally knocked sideways off his feet. Instinctively, Sakura threw an arm over each of the boys under her, ignoring the pain that lanced through her when her broken wrist was jostled as she covered their eyes from the gruesome sight. Blood gushed out of the wound and the man and the enemy gurgled as crimson splashed his lips. It only took a moment more before the light in his eyes died and he stilled on the ground.

"Sakura-chan!"

Sakura blinked and glanced to the side as Shikaku leapt down from a rooftop. She had rarely ever heard the Nara Head sound so worried, and it was usually directed at his son during the war in her previous timeline.

"I'm fine," She coughed out, struggling into a sitting position. "Check these two."

Sakura caught an exasperated look from Shikaku before Naruto and Sasuke were speaking, talking over each other to describe her injuries to the Nara Head.

Two more Jounin appeared, bending over the missing-nin with matching frowns. Her line of sight was blocked when Shikaku crouched down in front of them, giving cursory once-overs to the two boys before focussing on her.

"Let's see," Shikaku held out a hand and Sakura extended her broken wrist.

"It's fine," Sakura assured, pushing the pain away as she focussed healing chakra to her injury. "It'll be healed soon enough."

Shikaku said nothing for a moment, just watched the soft green light glowing around her wrist with unreadable eyes before looking up again with a wry smile. "Be more careful, Sakura-chan."

There was a shadow of something else in Shikaku's voice, as if he was hinting at a different meaning than the obvious one but Sakura didn't have time to ponder on it as one of the Jounin called for him. The Nara Head ruffled her hair before rising and hurrying over to the dead shinobi, already muttering orders to the Jounin.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Sasuke interrupted her thoughts and Sakura quickly turned to him with a smile.

"I'm fine, Sasuke," She said before scowling at both of them. "And you two are idiots. You should've run."

Naruto puffed up, crossing his arms. "Shinobi don't run," He protested.

"Then you could stand your ground all you want when you are a shinobi," Sakura retorted.

"Well, what kind of shinobi would we become if we just left you along to face the enemy?" Sasuke asked dubiously.

"Yeah, we have to look out for each other!" Naruto said belligerently.

Sakura sighed but felt her anger slip away with each passing second. She never could stay mad for long at those two and they had been trying to protect her.

"Thanks then," Sakura allowed grudgingly. "But next time, try _thinking_ before going up against a missing-nin who is far out of our class. We haven't been working on battle formations for nothing, you know."

Naruto shot her a sheepish look and Sasuke glanced away, slightly embarrassed, but Sakura just smiled again and they knew they were forgiven.

The missing-nin was well and truly dead this time and was quickly taken away for an autopsy and disposal. Naruto got permission to stay with Sasuke for the rest of the day and night but Sakura insisted on going home. She didn't spend much time with her parents anymore but she had promised herself that she wouldn't let them drift apart again so seeing them when they got home from work as much as possible was the least she could do.

An ANBU didn't accompany her home this time. Instead, Shikaku took her hand and walked her home. Both were quiet and the silence between them, while not uncomfortable was a little tense for reasons Sakura wasn't sure of.

"Shikaku-san?" Sakura spoke up then not liking the strained atmosphere. "Is something wrong?"

Shikaku glanced down at her, studying her for a few seconds before offering a slight smile. "Nothing's wrong, Sakura-chan. It's been a busy day though."

Sakura nodded and let the issue go. If Shikaku didn't want to say then there was nothing she could do that would get him to reveal it.

"By the way, how did your friends spray paint the Yondaime's head?" Shikaku suddenly asked.

Sakura blinked and then giggled. The air cleared between them as Shikaku arched an eyebrow at her. "I dunno," She sang, "It might not be Naruto."

"Never said it was," Shikaku pointed out good-humouredly. "Could be Sasuke-kun."

"Sasuke?" She gave him a sceptical look but her mouth betrayed her and twitched into a smile. "Mikoto-san says we're a bad influence on Sasuke."

"Oh?" Shikaku looked thoughtful. "You like Mikoto-san then?"

Sakura nodded enthusiastically. "She's great. We helped her throw a birthday party for Itachi the other day."

"A birthday part for Itachi-kun?" Shikaku repeated slowly, looking slightly shocked.

Sakura swallowed a snicker at the expression. "Yep. He was twitching a lot when we showed him with confetti and made him cut his cake but I think he liked it anyway."

Shikaku chuckled softly. "Never thought I'd see the day," He muttered almost to himself before saying more loudly, "I don't suppose Fugaku was there as well?"

"Oh, he was," Sakura confirmed. "I made sure to ask him earlier and Mikoto-san made him clear his schedule for the day. He looked kinda uncomfortable at the beginning but Itachi actually laughed when Naruto tripped and fell into the garden pond and took Sasuke with him and then Fugaku-san looked a lot more relaxed."

"I see," Shikaku considered her with sharp eyes but again, he didn't expand on what was on his mind and Sakura didn't ask.

When they reached her house, Sakura exchanged goodnights with Shikaku before heading inside. She glanced back only once, half inside the house, half out, and caught the Nara's Head's gaze again. It wasn't unfriendly or hostile; far from it, but there was still something in it that unsettled Sakura She would have to watch herself more carefully from now on, but after she gave one last wave and closed the door behind her, she remembered how easily Shikaku could usually hide anything he felt behind a lazy façade and wondered if the man had shown her a little of what he was feeling on purpose.

If so, she wondered why.

 **~S~**

He wasn't pleased. The man he sent inside had not come back and he had picked up enough gossip from various Konoha shinobi to know that the missing-nin was now a dead nin.

It didn't throw a particularly big wretch in his plans; the younger Uchiha boy was simply supposed to be collateral. He was confident he could convince the Uchihas' precious heir to carry out the part of his plan without the boy.

He knew the missing-nin wouldn't be able to reveal anything so he was no concerned on that front. Instead, he pondered on the rift between the Uchiha Clan and the rest of the village. For continued on its destined path but he would have to keep an eye out just in case.

He would have to intercept Uchiha Itachi next time the boy left the village for a mission. Turning him against his own clan would be the first step.

 **~T~**

"There is an odd number of students graduating this year," Sarutobi began. "Mostly because on of those students graduating much earlier than anyone expected at the beginning."

In the Jounin-filled office, Genma along brightened. "Sakura-chan really did it then? I always knew she would!"

Sarutobi's mouth twitched as he regarded the laidback shinobi. "Yes, it seems, just as she promised, she had managed to complete all the Academy's curriculums in one year alone."

"Wait, who's Sakura?" Sanae queried from the left.

"Haruno Sakura," Sarutobi clarified. "A prodigy from the civilian sector represented by the Uchiha Clan."

"The Uchiha Clan took her in?" Tekuno whistled in admiration. "She must be something else."

"Yes, which brings us to the problem of which sensei to hand her off to," Sarutobi glanced down at the list of teams he had drawn up. "For the most part, I have already drawn up teams for those of you who have agreed to take on a Genin team. Sanae, Riku, Kai, Tekuno, Hayama, Hiki, and Raidou."

The aforementioned nin all nodded and Sarutobi focused on the remaining shinobi. "Now, I know you have not signed up for a Genin team, but I do need an extra Jounin to apprentice Sakura-chan until her teammates graduate."

"She already has teammates?" Hiki enquired curiously.

Sarutobi nodded serenely. "I will be placing two others with her when they graduate, which will most likely be only two years from now. They work well together and their Academy sensei has already mentioned their excellent teamwork, so whoever takes on Sakura-chan will have to be prepared for the long haul."

Murmurs swept the room but no one spoke as Sarutobi continued. "Kakashi, Genma; I have called you in today because I believe either one of you are ready to take on a team."

He paused then and was hard-pressed not to twitch in annoyance as the sound of a flipping page permeated the room. "Kakashi, are you listening to me?"

The Copy-nin looked up and eye-smiled at him. "Of course, Hokage-sama, but I'm not interested in taking on any brat."

Sarutobi sighed. He had grounded Kakashi for the time being. The man had been on far too many ANBU missions and some down time would be good for him. He had told the Copy-nin that until he had taken on at least one team of Genin, he would be banned from any S-class missions. Sarutobi knew Kakashi had resorted to wait him out. Too bad for him Sarutobi could be as stubborn as they come.

But for now, he glanced at Genma instead. The senbon wielder shrugged. "I'd like to, I really do, but I've got my own missions plus rotation duty." Here he added a meaningful look and Sarutobi nodded in return.

"You will be taken off the rotation, of course," Sarutobi assured him. "And your missions will be cut back so you can properly teach Sakura-chan."

Genma looked thoughtful. "She's not gonna be a hard one to teach," He admitted. "She's already at least Genin material. Chuunin in some areas after seeing what she did to that missing-nin."

There were agreeable nods all around. Not many shinobi in Konoha had missed the rumour of a five-year-old Academy student taking down an Iwa missing-nin.

"She's that Sakura?" Kakashi suddenly cut in, the orange book in his hand lowering. "The one who's friends with Uzumaki Naruto?"

Genma snorted. "Where have you been, old man?"

Kakashi shot him a bland look. "In Water Country, for the past _year_."

Genma blinked but was too comfortable with himself to feel any embarrassment and simply shrugged instead. "Whatever," He turned back to the Hokage. "I'll take her. I wanted her as a student from the very beginning anyway."

Sarutobi was about to nod but had to suppress an amused smile when Kakashi jumped in again. "Hang on, I don't mind taking the girl. She's mature for her age and she can help keep the boys in line when they join her."

Sarutobi raised and eyebrow but didn't say anything. Kakashi was on rotation duty as well and would have seen what Sakura was capable of.

"You just said you weren't interested in teaching brats!" Genma protested, unconsciously straightening in place. "I've been watching Sakura-chan all year; she's _my_ student!"

Kakashi waved a dismissive hand. "You just agreed right now," He pointed out mildly. "And Hokage-sama said either one of us would do."

"You turned the offer down," Genma bristled. "I didn't."

Sarutobi noted the incredulity on the other Jounins' faces. It wasn't often Kakashi stirred himself for anything and Genma was usually quite easy-going.

"I'm sure another will come along," Kakashi said easily. "You've taught before, haven't you? You've had a team already. I actually need one to get back on active duty." Here he spared a moment to shoot a reproachful look at Sarutobi.

Genma scoffed around his senbon and it took almost everything in him not to let his inner child out in front of the Hokage like he was their mediator parent. "So, you're doing this for yourself because Sakura-chan will be an easy student to teach and you'll be able to get all of them through the Chuunin Exams that much faster. Yeah, I can see how that's a great help to her."

Kakashi frowned, his book closing almost absently in his hand. "I'll make sure she's prepared," He countered, voice still milk. "I wouldn't make her take the exam if she's not ready."

"And I'll train her like I actually care about her," Genma retorted tersely. "Do you even know what she specialises in?"

"Medical ninjutsu and taijutsu," Kakashi said immediately.

"And genjutsu, as well as a tanto," Genma corrected. "She has excellent aim and is devoted to her friends. She works hard and eats the library for breakfast. She wants to be the Head Medic of Konoha when she grows up."

Kakashi stared at him for a moment, visible eyes blank even thought eh man was still relaxed. "Have you been stalking her?" He finally asked lightly, but there was no mistaking the slight edge in his words.

Before Genma could snap or even attempt to kill the man, Sarutobi finally stopped them. "That's enough," He said firmly.

He looked between the two. They have never been friends as far as he knew. Perhaps that would change somewhere down the road but Genma remembered the Kakashi from before the deaths of Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin and Namikaze Minato, and unlike his peers, the senbon wielder had never simply accepted the change. Sarutobi knew Genma always kept a careful if subtle eye on everyone around him and was obviously wary of the sides that the Copy-nin had hidden of himself. It stood to reason that Genma didn't like the fact that someone he cared about may be placed under Kakashi's protection when he didn't really trust the man at all.

"Well then," Sarutobi let the slightest of smirks surface on his features as eh tilted his hat back. He wanted his ninja to get along and he needed a sensei for Sakura. It seemed he could kill two birds with one stone in this case. "You can both teach her."

The matching stunned looks he received were rather satisfying.

* * *

AN: Hey there, lovelies,

It's always nice to see you all again. Yay! We've reached the final chapter of the lovely cywsaphyre's original story. They were generous enough to put their work up for full adoption and all credit goes to them for coming up with the idea, concepts and character interactions, and I really hope I'll be able to keep up their legacy. You guys have been absolutely wonderful and supportive, I know it's taken a little while to upload all the chapter but you've been awesome.

The next chapter of Tempest will be out the day after this chapter comes out. I didn't want you all to feel like I'm holding back and taking credit when credit definitely isn't deserved.

I'd like to give a short out **Anliyue** who helped me understand Sakura's character better, what her flaws and it'd definitely be an interesting concept to dive into. But also, you guys are more than welcome to offer you own suggestions on what you would like to see in the future, I'll do my best to incorporate what I can but you guys help make this story happen. So, I'm at your service hehehe

Social Media:  
Tumblr: Kuchia-chan

Anyway, recently this story has been gaining a lot of traction and that also means lots of questions as well so I'll be answering them down below.

 **~~Question Corner~~**

 **Guest** asked: Why don't you immediately start writing from the new chapter rather than rewriting all chapters that originally belonged to cywsaphyre? What do you think about reviews praising you for their work?

Chia: I love Tempest just as much as everyone else and I hope to write a version of Tempest that is able to be the next gateway to the masterpiece cywsaphyre has blessed us with. I want my Tempest to be comprehensible and easy to read from the beginning for old and new readers alike. Also, through re-typing cywsaphre's original chapters I learned a lot about their characters and writing style and hope to write in a similar way that's genuine and pays homage to the original work.

As for reviewers who praise me for cywsaphrye's original work, I think it's more appreciation of continuing a much loved fic rather than my skills as an author. I do not claim any credit for cywsaphyre's 6 original chapters and never have previously and only hope I will be able to live up to their legacy.


	7. Chapter 7: Crossroads and Alleys

"Sakura-chan!"

Sakura turned her head just in time to catch her blond best friend as he leapt into her arms the second she left the classroom with her new Konoha hitai-ate tied firmed atop her head. Although she was the only one left in school, she couldn't help the warm glow that blossomed in her chest. Everyone else had gone home after they had either passed or failed the first-year exam; however, Sakura had to stay behind for an extra three hours as multiple instructors were brought together that afternoon to assess her skills each year level's standard.

Sakura wasn't worried in the slightest when it came to whether or not she would pass but she still felt a wave of relief when she received a small round of applause from Daikouku-sensei and the others.

She had a feeling her eccentric sensei was going to spend the rest of his career bragging about how he taught Haruno Sakura and helped her graduate the Academy in a single year.

Her previous sensei had also been there, although hidden away at the back of the crowd almost desperate not to catch her attention, but when they made eye contact she only gave him a sweet smile that had running for the door.

But she had made it, she was a shinobi again and she couldn't be happier.

Naruto, on the other hand, was weeping in her arms. Sakura did her best to comfort the boy by patting his back.

"Naruto, it's not the end of the world." She said but the more she thought about her statement it became almost ironic. "I'm only Genin and you and Sasuke will be graduating soon, you're already studying third-year material."

"But you won't be there with us and Daikouku-sensei is retiring!"

Sakura offered Naruto her best comforting smile. She could sympathise with her friend's worries; without her there, Naruto was more likely to get verbally attacked by the other children and a new teacher was a wild card, even if Sasuke was there with him.

Luckily for Sakura, Sasuke pulled Naruto off of her and scolded him, "Dobe, you still have me and the Hokage will make sure that we get a decent teacher."

Sakura knew Sasuke wasn't holding out much hope for their new teacher either but there was hope nonetheless.

"Naruto, I will be doing D and C rank missions for a while so I won't be gone for too long but I'll try my best to come see you guys whenever I can." Sakura's eyes were soft as she looked over her upset boys who were already missing her.

"Promise?" Naruto asked meekly.

Sakura paused and immediately she remembered the sight of twelve-year-old Naruto who confidently stood on front of her at Konoha's main gates swearing to her that he was going to bring Sasuke back to Konoha if it was the last thing he did and even put his dream on hold because of her. To Naruto (at least her previous timeline's Naruto) and to her promises needed to be upheld otherwise they were as good as trash.

"Naruto, Sasuke," The boys looked up and stared at her in confusion. "I don't know what the future holds, my missions are out of my hands and I will be busy but I'll do everything I can to come see you." She paused for a moment and then held out her pinkie finger. "I can promise I will be there for you when you need me and I will always be your friend."

Naruto stared, looked at Sasuke who still had his eyes glued on Sakura's cut covered pinkie. For the past two years Sakura had given them everything they secretly wanted and was there for them no matter what their request was. They studied together, eat together, trained together, cleaned the gum out from under desks together, and even painted the Yondaime's Head bright pink. Even though she was better off without them she was still their friend through thick and thin.

Naruto grinned through misty eyes and held out his similarly training-worn pinkie. "I promise too, Sakura-chan!"

Sasuke reflected on the days he sat at home by himself waiting for his brother. He would never admit it allowed but he was lonely but when he first met Naruto and Sakura he remembered talking to his father endlessly about them and the loneliness that once filled his chest during those quiet moments disappeared.

Sakura had saved his life twice from a missing-nin but still remained friends with him despite the risk to her own life and Naruto spent those evenings talking to him and reassured him that he and Sakura weren't going to go anywhere just because some silly missing-nin thought he was too big for his kunai pouch.

Sasuke grabbed both Naruto's and Sakura's pinkie a second later and smiled up at them.

"I promise as well."

"Same! Believe it!"

Sakura beamed up at them and then held their hands tightly as she led them toward the Uchiha compound. Fugaku and Mikoto were holding a celebratory dinner for her graduation but now it was also for their friendship.

The trip to the Uchiha compound felt strange for all three children since every shinobi they passed on the street stopped to congratulate Sakura for graduating, smiled encouragingly at Sasuke, and nodded briefly at Naruto before going on their way. After the fifth person congratulated them, Sasuke voiced his annoyance to them.

"They keep smiling at me, it's so creepy." Sasuke wasn't one to mince words. Sakura had learned that a long time ago.

Naruto, however, was a lot more enthusiastic after each interaction.

"Did you guys see?! They nodded at me…and they weren't glaring."

"Isn't that good, Naruto, you're earning their respect." Sakura encouraged. She couldn't believe it either, but she guessed that if Naruto was doing better at the Academy than the other children, then they could at least begrudgingly acknowledge that he was doing well for the sake of the village.

"Yeah. Speaking 'bout respect, Sakura-chan, if your new sensei doesn't have any just tell us and well give them hell."

Sasuke perked up at that and enquired with his own curiosity, "Do you know who it is?"

Sakura thought about it before shrugging, "I honestly don't know, it could be any Jounin." If she was being honest with herself she hoped to see Kakashi-sensei again but with how serious he was with their team she didn't see her training going anywhere fast.

The rest of the trip was luckily uneventful only because Sasuke decided to take over and lead them through an alleyway shortcut just to avoid the crowd.

 **~T~**

Itachi had returned home that evening to find the house with significant décor arrangements present. _She passed then_ , he thought satisfactorily, he had no doubts to begin with but it was still a comforting thought to know his faith in Sakura wasn't for nothing; he supposed his father was also pleased with the news.

"I'm home." He called out.

Itachi had learned since Naruto and Sakura began coming over to their house that he found a great joy in watching all the small bodies running towards him at high speed just to say hi to him; and the more he thought about it they were almost like puppies.

And right on cue Naruto and Sasuke had jumped on him and were dragging him to the living room. His mother must've hired an entire kitchen staff to cook the amount of food that was presented because it would have been near impossible for the platter that was set out and all around were people he never expected to see even come close to the Uchiha compound let alone inside his family's home.

Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, Akimichi Chouza, their wives and their children were there. Two other adults he didn't recognise were also there, he suspected they were most like Sakura's parents and although they looked rather uncomfortable to be in a room full of shinobi they were polite in conversation. A handful of the more tolerant Clan Elders were also present although they looked like they were only there for the formality and it would have been considered rude not to invite them since they technically did assist with the sponsorship. And then there were the children, who had all seated themselves on the opposite side of the room in various positions chittering amongst themselves. They really had no interest in whatever the adults were talking about and Itachi was glad Naruto and Sasuke had forcefully dragged him to join them.

It would not have been acceptable for the Uchiha heir to not be 'socially' involved with the adults and he secretly admitted to himself that he preferred his brother and Sakura's company rather than dry talking.

"Hey, Itachi." Sakura greeted warmly.

"Congratulations, Sakura." Was all Itachi said although the others might have thought the young Uchiha heir was being rude to Sakura, it was far from the case, his face was openly relaxed and his eyes were filled with pride for his friend.

"Thank you. Would you like to join us?" Sakura shuffled over, softly nudging Naruto to the side as he playfully whined about the sudden change.

Itachi hid the compulsion to look over to his father for his approval, he couldn't remember when he began to go against his shinobi rule of absolute obedience but as he looked over at the curious faces of Sakura's other friends who appeared to be ready to make their acquaintance.

So, Uchiha Itachi sat down between his brother and Sakura with a slight bow of the head.

The blonde girl smiled understandingly warm at him and offered a shy, "Hi.", the rounder boy passed him a plate of food with a soft, "You must be hungry" and the other boy nodded mutely before going back to snoozing lightly despite the bustling noise.

"Shikamaru, you should at least say hello, you're being rude to our host." The blonde girl chastised the napping boy. He only responded by rolling away from facing her.

The boys and Sakura laughed at their dynamic.

Ino rolled her eyes and immediately went back to Itachi with a slight flush in her cheeks. "I'm Yamanaka Ino and that little sh- "

"Ino! You better not be saying what I think you're saying!" Airi yelled from across the room, causing the young heiress to wince before offering her mother a placating smile. Airi only narrowed her eyes warningly before each returned to respected groups.

"Ino, I didn't know you got so bold," Sakura teased playfully, holding a hand over her growing smirk. "And in front of your parents too."

"Shu-Shut up." Ino squeaked and buried her face in her hands. Sakura took the moment to shuffle over to her and press her forehead against Ino's with a wide genuine smile firmly pressed on her lips.

"Ino looks the cutest when she's blushing. I'm just teasing, but I'm sorry if you thought I was being mean, I didn't mean it." Sakura whispered to her comfortingly.

Ino's pale blue eyes peeked out from between her finger mockingly accusatory. "If you say things like that to everyone, Sakura, you're going to have people falling for you left and right."

Sakura pulled away and laughed nervously. "No way."

Ino spotting her opportunity to get back at her pink-haired best friend, she took hold of Sakura's shoulders and spun her around with a surprising amount of force until they were both facing Naruto, Sasuke and Itachi. "Don't you guys think Sakura is cute?"

"I-Ino!" The number of things she let Ino get away with was astounding but Sakura had to admit she really enjoyed having the blonde's attention. Sakura had really missed her.

Naruto was the first to respond to no one's surprise, "Of course, Sakura-chan's the cutest!"

Sasuke stared at her for a long while before turning his head away after thinking about the ridiculous and obvious question for too long. "Hn." Sakura raised an eyebrow at that because she thought Sasuke had given up avoiding one-word responses but she supposed he was shy in front of strangers. Regardless, she knew he meant well.

Then all eyes were on Itachi, and although the young heir had learned early on that eyes were always bound to turn to him, but today was different today he was different; it was a social event…and he was expected to answer and it had to be an accurate assessment.

So, he stared at Sakura for a minute taking her physical appearance in. He had never really thought about whether or not his friend's appearance pleased him or not, not because it didn't matter but that it wasn't his main priority so he had never really thought about it.

His eyes landed on Sakura who in return glared determinedly back at him as if saying: _Don't say anything embarrassing_.

"Sakura's fine." The look of relief on her face dispelled any concerns about another fight breaking out between him and the new graduate shinobi.

But before Itachi could take much of a breather a sudden weight forced him forward and the vein in his forehead was suddenly throbbing, although his outward demeanour did not display any difference in emotion.

"Shisui." Itachi stated through gritted teeth. The weight of the thirteen-year-old boy refused to budge despite his best tired effort. Shisui was always more touchy-feely when he was in the company of more people; Itachi didn't know whether it was because he enjoyed the attention or he really didn't know any manners especially in regards to personal space and boundaries.

"Hey, 'Kura-chan, congrats on graduating, I knew you had it in ya. Maybe soon you'll be able to out-speed me."

Sakura scratched the back of her head in mild embarrassment and thanked him but continued with, "I honestly wasn't expecting you to come, didn't you have a mission?"

Shisui, finally letting Itachi free to breath, grabbed a near by cushion to join them on the tatami mat floor. Chouji gave Sakura a plate of food to pass to Shisui, who graciously thanked the Akimichi. The atmosphere was light and comfortable, light gossip was passed around and Sakura couldn't have been happier to have almost all of her old timeline's friends there with her to celebrate not only her acceptance as a Konoha shinobi but also because all of her friends were getting along really well.

Sakura watched as Naruto and Sasuke were completely enthralled by Shisui's grandiose tales of how he single-handily saved the Fire Daimyo from multiple assassination attempts and taught the Fire Princess some shinobi arts. Upon hearing Shisui's tale they threw open the shoji doors and demanded training. Itachi tagged along because he didn't want to his brother and Naruto to get carried away.

Sakura smiled as her and the Ino-Shika-Cho watched amused. Shikamaru was ready to drift off since there was nothing to excite him and Chouji was comfortable with eating, watching the others train while he listened to the girls next to him start to chat.

 **~E~**

The Uchiha household was lively to say the least and over on the adults' side of the house it was mildly tense; however, it was a lot lighter than what they were previously expecting. Mikoto and Mebuki were hesitant when it came to interacting with the other women but Yoshino and Airi weren't having any of it and openly accepted the Uchiha matriarch and Sakura's mother with open arms saying, "If the children can do it then there's nothing from stopping these old bones from trying to make new friend, right Airi-chan?"

Airi just laughed heartily, Mebuki and Mikoto looked at each other find some solace in their mutual awkwardness and offered a tense but polite giggle in response. Mikoto was openly very caring towards children but she struggled when it came to talking to other adults. It was something she struggled with since she was a girl; only Kushina's bold and loud personality was able to help break her out of her shell. Mikoto missed her dearly.

Mebuki had heard a lot about all of the women through her daughter but had never officially met them. She was always busy with work and Sakura was always comfortable with her independence and made her way there on her own. Mebuki wondered whether it would be impolite to ask them over for tea one day when Sakura started taking missions.

Yoshino, Airi and Kanna ironically did their best to welcome Mikoto and Mebuki and soon enough found a lot of common ground talking about housewife things and their husbands.

Kizashi soon enough joined in rather preferring the civilian discussion than the potentially frustrating, political conversations the Clan Head were having.

Fugaku on the other hand was as stubborn as they came but they did remain to topics that they knew shared a common ground – Haruno Sakura.

"I must say I was surprised that Sakura-chan managed to graduate within a year." Inoichi admitted his admiration.

One of the Elder's cut in pridefully gloating, "It is to be expected from the Uchiha Clan, we only select the best to represent us and Fugaku has taken a fine apprentice." The room turned cold at the Elder's boastful declaration; Inoichi and Chouza appeared ready to start a verbal argument until Mikoto suddenly jumped in.

"Sakura-chan is a very talented and dedicated young lady; she has been training with Shisui-kun and Itachi-chan whenever they're home." Mikoto said. The humility in her voice was enough to placate the men. "It's been a very good year for us but I can't help but think that Sakura-chan would have been able to graduate the Academy straight away with her skills."

This aroused Shikaku from his comfortable slouch and turned to look at the Uchiha matriarch with curiosity. "What makes you say that?"

Mikoto tensed at the sudden realisation that she had attracted the attention of Konoha's Head Investigator; but surprisingly Yoshino placed a reassuring hand on her arm and smiled warmly at her.

Fugaku narrowed his eyes minutely but understood well enough that Nara Shikaku was entailing as to why the Uchiha felt that Sakura entering the Academy was the only option of repaying their debt to her when it was clear she didn't need it.

Although, ANBU weren't present at the time of the attack, had been stationed to take care of the girl and would have seen her skills; their position would have allowed them to vouch for Haruno Sakura's admittance.

"Sakura-san was very adamant about attending the Academy early, it was a mutual agreement from both parties. I can't divulge anymore without Sakura-san being present to consent."

Shikaku raised an eyebrow in both mild astonishment that it was the most he had heard Uchiha Fugaku say outside of necessary clan meetings and intrigue from the move Fugaku made. Shikaku didn't have the willingness to start and uphold an argument in the Uchiha household and during Sakura's graduation party and needed a different approach.

But something nagged at Shikaku.

It wasn't until he heard the commotion coming from outside that he realised it. Uzumaki Naruto. Why was he also admitted into the Academy? At the meeting Fugaku was stubborn about the fact that Naruto wasn't connected to the clan in any way and if he took his word on it then the only other motivator to admit Uzumaki Naruto was by Sakura's request.

And if Sakura and the Uchiha knew that she didn't need to Academy then there were two possibilities Sakura was working with the Uchiha maliciously – unlikely, Shikaku had seen with his own eyes the kind of girl Sakura was, or she was sacrificing herself to the Uchiha clan for Naruto's sake – likely but there wasn't any confirmation.

Shikaku took a sip from the sake Mikoto has served him and ultimately ended up just shrugging his shoulders. There wasn't any need to divulge any further, it wasn't his business; and without hard evidence it was unnecessary to inflame controversy between the Council, the Hokage and the Uchiha Clan.

"The Uchiha Clan has really helped Sakura-chan take a step towards her dream and deserves recognition for your contribution to Konoha's prosperity."

Fugaku and Mikoto stared for a moment and despite having some of the clan Elders present at the table they both nodded their head for a little too long. The men understood that Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto were looking to support the village as best they could as they were willing to offer their support as best they could.

 **~M~**

Sakura woke up the next morning refreshed, although school was technically out and Naruto was sleeping over at Sasuke's again, she eagerly got dressed, packed her equipment and a medical scroll she had been meaning to read just in case her hunch was correct.

Daikouku-sensei had given her a note telling her which class and classroom she was temporarily joining for the graduation ceremony.

Sakura recognised which classroom it was immediately and took her time making her way to the Academy.

Sakura couldn't help feeling nostalgic as she walked the same road from her original timeline. She remembered running into Ino across the way, their crush on Sasuke at the time had really driven a wedge between them but now Sakura wasn't that girl. Sakura wasn't going to put anything between her and Ino but she had a feeling that as her best female friend eventually grew up they were bound to fall back into their old routine eventually; Sakura just hoped they were more teasing then malicious.

Then there was Naruto and Sasuke, her boys, Sakura was so proud of them they were growing up so fast and she was excited for when they would eventually join her on missions. She wondered whether her boys would be on a separate Genin team and she had to wait until they were all Chuunin.

When Sakura walked into the room immediately all eyes were on her. She never really forgot that she wasn't twelve-years-old and was technically a prodigy. Sakura looked around the room and immediately sat down in the first free seat she saw.

Sakura took a deep breath and soon enough the sensei came in, congratulated the class on graduating and becoming full Konoha shinobi. The list of teams was called out and the children were soon left to wait for their new Jounin senseis.

There was a knock at the door and Sakura eyes widened at the sight of Genma's head popping in, his senbon lazily swinging on his lips. When he spotted Sakura, he nudged his head towards the door and Sakura immediately understood.

She got up and lightly jogged excitedly out the door.

"Genma-san, or would it be Genma-sensei now?" She chuckled light-heartedly.

The man grinned down at her, "You could say that, brat, but I'm not your only sensei. The Hokage also assigned someone else too you as well. How about we go wait on the roof and I'll tell you all about it."

"Okay?"

When they found a comfortable spot that looked over the city, Sakura waited patiently for her ex-ANBU bodyguard, turned friend, turned Jounin sensei.

"So, we're going to have to wait a little while for your new sensei to turn up; I wouldn't put it passed him to arrive sometime in the next three hours." Sakura had to hide her excitement. Kakashi-sensei. "His name's Hatake Kakashi." Genma sighed involuntarily which made Sakura frown curiously.

"You don't like him?" Sakura had never known Genma much in her previous timeline but the thought of two of the adults she had grown to love regardless of timeless she pained her when her suspicions were confirmed by the man himself.

"Got me there, we don't particularly get along but the Hokage made us your senseis. I can't go into the details of the meeting, I'm sure you understand."

Sakura nodded and returned her gaze back out over the city. "Genma-sensei, thank you for at least telling me as much as you could though."

Genma released a tense but relieved chuckle and ruffled the six-year-old girl's bright pink hair. Sakura didn't know how calming she was to be around – but before Genma could continue his thoughts on the girl she shot him a mischievous look.

"What?"

"How about we go get some lunch? We're not going to do any training so late in the afternoon since you said Kakashi-sensei won't be here for a while, right?"

Genma stroked his chin between his finger and thumb before he got up with a, "Come on, my treat." And the Sakura took her new sensei to experience Ichiraku Ramen for the first time.

 **~P~**

"So, this is where you are?" A lazy droll of a voice sudden spoke up from behind the two patrons.

Simultaneously, with ramen hanging from their mouths, Genma and Sakura took in the hunched figure of masked, one eyed man with spikey grey hair.

"Grey even at such a young age." Sakura blurted out after swallowing her noddles.

The girl had been comparing her previous stressed and aged sensei to her current one and couldn't stop the words that fell out of her mouth; but at the same time, Inner was laughing so hard, Sakura was struggling to keep a straight face, so she opted to level the playing field she had created. "Genma-sensei, is that why you wear a bandana?"

Genma felt like he had almost died, first she made fun of Kakashi and then took a jab at him. _I thought you liked me_. He grumbled in his head.

"…Sakura…" He managed to say warningly through his fit of coughing.

She grinned cheekily at him, then turned and held out her hand out to Kakashi. "I'm Haruno Sakura. It's nice to meet you."

Kakashi looked at the hand and proceeded to sit down. "I don't like you." He stated plainly.

 _Trust Kakashi-sensei to say something like that_. She growled in her mind. **At least it's better than hating you back when we were twelve**. Inner offered. And although Sakura agreed with Inner's logic they both agreed that he was still frustrating.

Genma glared at Kakashi but looked at Sakura. "Okay, Sakura-chan, you might know me a little bit but you and Kakashi don't know each other; so, I'll start introduction. Shiranui Genma, I like spicy food, I hate traitors, my hobbies are collecting stamps and my dream is to get married one day."

Sakura could help smiling, she hoped he found the love of his life one day.

"I'm Haruno Sakura, I like my friends, sweets and studying, I hate people who hurt my friends and war, my hobby is studying and my dream is to be Konoha's Head Medic."

Then all eyes were on Kakashi.

He 'hmm'd' and then started, "Hatake Kakashi, I don't feel like talking about my likes or dislikes with you, my dreams for the future is none of your business, and I have lots of hobbies."

Sakura felt her eyebrow twitch in anger. _It's almost word for word like last time…he has to be fucking with us_. She was almost heart-brokenly disappointed.

Kakashi stood back up and gave Sakura a piece of paper. Sakura felt her eyebrow twitch even more. _The handout again?_ "Wh-What's this?"

"Nervous? It's nothing much, just memorise it and we'll start your training tomorrow."

Sakura held out hope that he wasn't going to do the Bell Exam when it was only her and Genma-sensei was there as well. Joy, she couldn't wait… _I miss Naruto and Sasuke_.

 **~E~**

Shikaku stared at the request that was handed to him by the Hokage.

"I want you to go to the hospital this instance and talk to the autopsy group, when you're done I discuss a couple things with you." Sarutobi stated sternly.

"It's in regard to the Iwa missing-nin I killed recently?"

"Yes. They seemed to have found something rather concerning and they want details of the events. I don't want to drag Sakura-san back into this as much as possible."

"Understood, Hokage-sama, I'll head over there right now."

Sarutobi nodded and watched as his Head Interrogator vanished in a flash. He had a nagging feeling that the possibility of Sakura possibly getting dragged into something bigger kicked in his paternal instincts.

Sarutobi took a few thinking over the information the autopsy team had given to him.

 **~S~**

When Shikaku arrived at the cold, dark morgue and was immediately ushered in he was immediately on guard. There was a total of four medic-nin and one of the Hokage's ANBU present whatever it was it wasn't good.

"How can I help?" Shikaku asked firmly.

The leading medic stepped forward and addressed herself as Hana as she adjusted her glasses. "Nara-sama, during our autopsy investigation we initially concluded that the cause of death was the cause of multiple factors, the chakra suppressant seals standard of any prisoner, the direct kunai slash across the throat from the upper left-hand side, torture and starvation; however, during our standard procedure we discovered remaining residue of a potent poison left from an open injection."

"What are you saying?" Shikaku's eyes narrowed and then flickered over to the ANBU who was clearly listening to the entire thing to verify what he reported the Hokage; it was clearly getting far more serious.

"Fortunately, whoever injected the poison wasn't as good as they thought they were and left enough for us to document and Nara-sama's swift actions left the body preserved enough to test his blood for remnants of the poison for confirmation." The medic stated. "From the freshness of the wound and how long the poisons been in his blood we can conclude the missing-nin had the poison for about an hour before his death, another two hours and he would have been a dead nin regardless."

"There's no antidote?"

"It's a completely unknown poison, Nara-sama, we will be sending some to the research lab once you have no more use for the body."

Shikaku observed the medic for a moment, and then his eyes swept around the room at the other faces. "I will stay here for another hour, I've concluded this information is classified as S-rank and if any word of this is discovered by another person will result in dishonourable discharge and life in prison. Is that understood?"

A chorus of, "Yes, sir" echoed around him.

Shikaku nodded, "Now, I want every document you have on this investigation and any theory notes you have – everything."

"Sir, may we ask why?" Hana asked wearily.

"Unfortunately, if appears Konoha has a traitor in its midst." Shikaku didn't divulge anymore information because the seriousness of the issue was something that only the Hokage needed to hear and decide on the outcome.

 **~T~**

Itachi displayed no outward emotion as the Hokage presented him with his first S-rank mission. At eleven-years-old, Uchiha Itachi was already Jounin despite only receiving his Chuunin rank last year he was deemed mature, intelligent and skilled enough for Jounin and thus A and S-rank missions.

"Hokage-sama." Although Itachi said Sarutobi's title as if it were a statement, the elderly man knew better.

"You are tasked with a long-term S-rank mission of serious security importance. Nara Shikaku recently confided in me information that highly suggests that Konoha has a traitor within our walls and I am going to submit you amongst the ANBU and monitor their actions. Naturally, this might be out of your current skill grade; however, I had order every single member of ANBU to take you under their wing over the course of a week. This mission may take two or three years maximum."

"Understood, Hokage-sama. Are there any specific signs I should be looking for?"

The Hokage looked over the documents on his desk, specifically Shikaku's report before stating, "proficient at poisons and minor medical knowledge – the first victim was administered a deadly unknown poison however botched a clean injection; otherwise, the entity is unknown. All documents will be available to you upon a request directly to me. I expect a monthly report."

"Yes, Hokage-sama, by your dismissal."

"One of my ANBU will escort you the ANBU headquarters for your introduction tomorrow at 5am, expect you to be ready. You may go."

Itachi bowed and disappeared. He was about to become a very busy and stressed shinobi… _Maybe I'll go see what Sasuke is doing_.

* * *

AN: Hey there lovelies,

So, techically is it tomorrow for me hehehe

I'm exhausted hehehe. This chapter took quite a while to write and cwysaphyre has really given me a huge challenge. Naturally, I what to uphold the chapters to their standard and that means a lot more words than I'm used to writing.

Anyway, scheduling! This is very important for those of you who follow any or all of my stories, chapter updates will be broken up into weeks:  
WEEK 1: Tempest and A Spark of Humanity  
WEEK 2: A Little Ghost Girl and another adopted story I plan on working on

I'll try and do my best but I am currently attending uni and working part-time with a lot of exams and assignments coming from all over the place so please understand if I can't post on time all the time. I really appreciate it.

So, I will hopefully have A Spark of Humanity's next chapter out soon and next week I will be working on A Little Ghost Girl. I plan on releasing them on my (Australian) Sundays. Anyone on the other side of the world, that will your Saturdays, no idea what time h-hehehe

Socal Media:

Tumblr: Kuchia-chan

~~Question Time~~

No questions today unfortunately, maybe next week


	8. Chapter 8: Training

Sakura wondered exactly how training was going to be handled considering she apparently had _two_ senseis and both of vastly different skill sets that she didn't specialise in. Then again, if anything it was a good opportunity to expand on her arsenal before her boys joined up with her.

Sakura sat cross-legged nestled between a pair of exposed roots thinking hard about what she wanted out of her training sessions. After all, she had accomplished her goal of getting into the Academy early and graduating. Now, if there was any rule that stuck with her from her first time through the Academy it was, "A shinobi never set off without a plan of action."

And she didn't remember that rule because she was a strategist or even because a plan allowed mental stability or increased moral in a team; no, it was none of those logical things. Instead it was the fact that it was the only rule Inner screamed every time Naruto ran off ahead of the group because he had let his emotions get the better of him.

 _It's hard to forget a rule like that when it's associated with someone you love, even if it is the biggest knucklehead around_ , Sakura smiled thoughtfully.

"You're chipper this morning, Sakura-chan,"

The six-year-old girl looked up at the ANBU bodyguard turned sensei with a confused and slightly startled expression. It had been a while since the last time someone had been able to get the jump on her and she knew for a fact that Genma wasn't the type of mute or completely hide his chakra.

Genma looked worried at the sudden change in her demeaner due to his arrival. "Is something the matter?"

Sakura shook her head quickly, "You just startled me is all." She offered, "I was lost in thought."

Genma gave her a cheeky smile as he casually plopped down beside her. There were very few shinobi who were like him; basically, casual and easy-going. Many saw it as a trait that needed to be extinguished to best succeed – a form of discipline if you will. It was a changing development when Sakura first graduated the Academy the first time.

Flashes of Sasuke's body with a senbon in his throat filled her mind as she watched Kakashi plunge his arm through the chest of a fifteen-year-old boy. Shinobi were not only weapons for their village and deserved to live their lives just as much as anyone else they served to protect.

 _Haku was too young_ , now that she thought about it.

"Genma-sensei, are you going to train Naruto and Sasuke as well when they graduate?" Sakura asked.

The man blinked and ruffled her hair, "Naturally. Unfortunate to say, I don't think the Hokage is going to permit you to attend the Chuunin exams without a team present."

"That's okay." She told him simply. "It'd be a lot better with Naruto and Sasuke with me anyway. We'll power through it like no body's business!" As she clutched her fists in happy determination.

"Without a doubt in my mind." Genma followed up. "So, knowing Kakashi's track record, I don't think he's going to be here for another 3 or 4 hours so morning training will be up to me. Any ideas or shall I pick?"

Sakura had wanted to organise her own schedule regarding her training and for the last hour constructing her arguments in her head while she was waiting; listing her current abilities, expertise and flaws but now Genma had just thrown it all out of the window by just asking her what _she_ wanted to do.

It felt very strange to her.

Even Kakashi-sensei wasn't that encouraging or diverse when he finally began their training in Wave. Then again, she didn't exactly have a lot of standards back when she was twelve-years-old.

"Oh, um, I'm currently having no problem with my taijutsu and genjutsu, ninjutsu's okay but only the basics, I still need to increase my reserves first before I can start on anything more. Do you know any kenjutsu?" Sakura suddenly asked excitedly. "I've been practicing with a tanto."

The man honestly hadn't expected such an organised response, but he put that aside and focused on his new student's question. "I don't know much, there aren't a lot of kenjutsu masters around Konoha that I can gather tips or refer you to either; but I am a senbon master if you wish to learn about them."

"Hopefully not the one from your mouth, Genma-sensei, I have standards too."

"Brat!"

The two of them broke out into a fit of laughter as Genma tried to tackle her to the ground as friendly punishment but the roots were in the way.

Sakura never had an older brother in her life and she often wondered what Sasuke saw in Itachi, considering what she saw was vastly different. But now, Sakura couldn't help the idea of Genma as an older brother figure float in her head for a little bit longer than necessary before pushing it aside. It was probably too intimate a thought for Sakura to allow to ever see the light of day.

Once the two of them calmed down, Sakura asked Genma what they were going to do about Kakashi. He had given her a piece of paper that only told her which training ground they were going to meet at and at what time; and since, he managed to loyally swear himself into lateness towards everything that didn't lack a force of importance – thus cementing it in Sakura's mind that this time's Kakashi wasn't the one she loved and cared for with all her heart; but that didn't mean she still didn't care about him.

It was still Kakashi though and that meant a little revenge was in order.

So, while discussed what they were going to do in terms of training to best prepare themselves for future missions and to pass the Chuunin Exam they ultimately only agreed on one thing and that was _no_ D-rank missions.

At least for now.

They threw ideas back and forth on what they were going to do with Kakashi because it was clear to them that he wasn't going to take her training seriously; and it didn't take long before they constructed the perfect plan.

* * *

By the time Kakashi arrived at the training ground it was just a couple minutes before noon and Sakura didn't pay him any attention as she continued to dutifully throw senbon at the targets.

The majority didn't land but it was her first time learning the new weapon.

The noticeable weight difference between senbon, kunai and shuriken made it difficult to swap between them and Sakura's current progress was noticeable due the numerous scattered senbon scattered around the ground.

"Yo. Sorry I'm late. There was an old lady who desperately needed help carrying her groceries."

Kakashi waited for reaction he always got from colleges, but children especially they always had more vocal reactions. Unfortunately, and slightly eerily, Sakura just stared at him with disconnected and unamused eyes; but something flashed across her face before a large smile broke free.

"Kakashi-sensei, perfect timing." She exclaimed ironically, "Last night I was reading a book about you and it said you specialise in ninjutsu and know over a million jutsus." The young and pretty girl threw out her arms childishly in exasperation.

Sakura felt slightly humiliated but could only pray to whatever god there was that Genma would be able to keep his mouth shut and not laugh at her too hard.

Their meeting at Ichiraku Ramen was brief and straight to the point. Sakura didn't think she expressed herself enough for her dear old sensei to impart with enough information on her that would hint to the fact that she was completely faking her fan-girliness.

"Mah~" Kakashi offered boringly, "It's not that many and you're already busy with Genma. I trust his judgement, so it'll be best to leave him with you."

Sakura didn't miss for a second Kakashi's habit of complimenting people to avoid sticky situations and turn attention over to someone else, but she was determined not to let him get away that easily.

"But you're my sensei too, Kakashi-sensei, otherwise it's not fair." Sakura felt her voice starting to hurt putting on such an infuriating voice, but it was worth it watching Kakashi disappear behind his eyes as he desperately tried to find one reason or another to disappear.

Genma stepped forward and cleared his throat, "She is right, Kakashi. You are also her teacher but if you don't feel like participating, you're more than welcome to sit to the side and watch."

Kakashi stared at his 'partner' with hidden suspicion. The thought of them setting up a trap under all the trees in an amateur effort to humiliate him was laughable and whatever respect he had for Genma as a professional Jounin was immediately lost.

But, clearly there was no harm in doing as they said and he was technically teaching Haruno Sakura, so it would only be a matter of time before she and her team would enter in the Chuunin Exams and pass; giving him his ANBU status and ability to accept S-rank missions again.

So, the silver-haired, lazy Jounin accepted with a half nod of the head and sat down under a tree that gave him a perfect view of Haruno Sakura as she returned to practicing senbon, and Genma off to the other side instructing her on how to best hold the weapons and her instinctive reload.

The seconds quickly turned to minutes and then to hours and Kakashi was getting more and more antsy. He had expected a trap to go off by now. It had been four hours and all he had been doing was sitting under the same tree reading his book.

Kakashi had adjusted his rear in some type of effort to spring it but it turned out to be fruitless because there was nothing there…then, where was it.

"Okay, excellent work, Sakura-chan, still got quite a bit of polishing to do but you managed to at least get four out of ten in the final round which is a lot better than I originally expected." Genma announced happily.

"Thanks." Sakura replied with a genuine smile on her face. "I'll practice a bit more when I get home. Same time tomorrow?"

"Perfect."

Kakashi felt like his lungs were going to burst and his shoulders hurt a lot for some reason, but he didn't dare stretch in front of his 'partner' and 'student'. He got up nonetheless now that training was over, thank god.

"Oh, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura called out. Kakashi stared at her blankly but his chakra screamed at the second she made any type of move he was ready to defend himself. "Please relax a little, I'm not going to attack you or set any traps. I was just teasing."

Kakashi released the breath he didn't realise he was holding and his shoulders relaxed. He continued to stare at the little pink-haired, six-year-old.

Then it hit him… _That was her plan all along_.

He didn't know whether he should have felt offended or impressed. He had never thought about the huge vulnerability that was his own instincts as a shinobi to work it against him.

 _Smart girl_.

The trio departed in their own directions, it wasn't a good first meeting, but it wasn't a bad first meeting.

When Kakashi finally arrived home after spending an entire day doing barely anything, he at least felt like he had gained some insight into what type of person Haruno Sakura was. He wouldn't deny there was something about her that rubbed him the wrong way or just ticked him off. He wasn't a petty person…okay, maybe a little, but he had standards, so he didn't dwell on it any more.

When Genma threw himself onto his couch with a can of beer in his hand, the most he could think about was the prank that he and Sakura had pulled on that high and mighty prick, Kakashi. He was easy going, but it didn't mean he wasn't against sticking a couple senbon in the man's over-sized ego. It was a good first day of training for him at least.

* * *

As weeks quickly turned into months, Sarutobi was no exactly pleased with the development of two things.

One, the investigation into the traitor was quickly coming to a complete standstill and he knew Shikaku was close to pulling out his hair. The Iwa missing-nin's body was still nicely preserved within a high security scroll and the assigned medic-nins couldn't find anything that could help Shikaku at least find his identity.

And two, Sarutobi had been keeping a close eye on Haruno Sakura's training. The reason he had assigned Kakashi and Genma to the young prodigy was because of her ability to heal those around her, even if she wasn't completely aware of it. However, he had noticed that his late successor's star student rarely contributed to the girl's training or even imparted any type of wisdom onto her.

Sarutobi wondered gravely whether Kakashi was subconsciously afraid to get involved with children purely because of how he was raised in the field.

As a result, the two conflicts presented an opportunity.

"Hokage-sama, you wished to see me about something?"

Sarutobi looked up from his paperwork which he had been organising for the man's new upcoming mission. "Thank you for coming to see me on such short notice, Genma. There is a mission of great importance that I wish to discuss with you."

Genma straightened his back up immediately. The Hokage, despite his appearance, was a man of many experiences, information and held an arsenal of power just in his hands.

The Hokage was being incredibly serious and no matter how much he wished he was the only teacher to guide Sakura to greatness, Genma could not refuse an order.

"Yes, Hokage-sama?"

Lacing his fingers together, Sarutobi assessed Genma capabilities as a Konoha shinobi and comparing him to the others he had available. "I have an A-rank mission for you, nothing dangerous; however, it is politically sensitive plain and simple,"

Genma suddenly didn't like where the Hokage was taking his new mission, but he didn't voice any protest.

He was decent when it came to talking to politicians, but he did have a bounty on his head in Lightning and Water. So, he was at least safe in deducting that it wasn't either or those countries.

"I want you to deliver this letter and these gifts to Earth's Daimyo which the Fire Daimyo was generous enough to provide according to his tastes; however, the Fire Daimyo has left it to Konoha to establish and maintain peaceful ties with Iwa. So, I personally selected these gifts to give to the Tsuchikage and his family. I am familiar fact that Tsuchikage hat has been passed down the family line and it would only be polite to include his granddaughter, Kurotsuchi-san among them. You are to depart in two days' time at dawn. Any questions?"

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama, I ask purely out of curiosity; why Konoha suddenly desires to connect with our most infamous enemies?"

"That is something I currently can not divulge without giving you clearance."

"Understood, Hokage-sama."

Genma could only bow his head in acceptance and take the scrolls that he was given to him.

"I will need to tell Sakura-chan about this, may I tell her the summary? She is an excellent shinobi and has my complete trust."

Sarutobi thought for a moment before nodding.

Sakura was a smart girl but finding the connection between the missing Iwa-nin who had attacked her twice and was dead and Genma's sudden departure to Iwa was too much of a stretch; but Sarutobi made a mental note to keep a closer eye on her just in case.

"Then I will be on my way to prepare, Hokage-sama." Genma said finally and waited for the dismissal.

And with a wave from the Hokage's hand, Genma disappeared immediately.

* * *

Only a few hours later, Genma stood waiting for Sakura contemplating just how much information he was going to depart on the little girl. She was only a Genin, a fact he often forgot about.

The six-year-old girl's intelligence was years beyond what was expected and it was only because of the mission that the Hokage gave him that morning that he realised two things, especially in regards to his student: no amount of powerful jutsus equated to someone's rank; and Sakura's calculating and swift plans that she often developed during their spars and while talking to Kakashi meant she could every easily handle a Chuunin or even Jounin level political and economic missions with ease.

Sakura loved studying, especially medical books and scrolls but she never limited herself to only texts many ninjas before her sort out, instead she read up on agriculture, trading, and basically everything a Hokage was required to know and assist the Daimyo with.

The Hokage wasn't just a military general but Daimyo's left-hand man, while the prime minister was the Daimyo's right.

When Genma had inquired about it she told him happily that she brushed up on everything that Naruto needed to know in the future, so she was able to help him whenever he stumbled over himself.

And honestly, if Genma hadn't see how much Sakura cared about the Jinchuuriki for himself, he would have gone to the Hokage straight away suspecting her of a long-term plot of placing a puppet in Konoha.

It was a silly thought but an if Sakura was a plant then it was a clear sign of what a plant would do.

"Genma-sensei!"

The man snapped out of his thoughts and watched as the short, pink-haired girl ran up to his waving at him with excitement. "I know we only covered senbon a little bit, but I wanted to show you how much I've improved. I've been practicing at home and with Naruto and Sasuke."

Genma couldn't help his lips curling in a soft smile and ruffled the girl's hair which only made her grin even more. She might have been smarter than anyone else her age, but she was surprisingly cute.

He knew she would never admit it aloud, but she had a soft spot towards being treated her age, so long as the person giving her affection was someone a lot older than her.

Genma had witnessed a couple times the aggressive sparring match between her and Uchiha Shisui whenever he felt like interrupting their training.

"I can't wait to see it. I also have some news that I need to tell you about later."

"That doesn't sound good."

"Brat. Why am I the only one that gets negative Sakura-chan?" Genma sulked dramatically.

Sakura laughed and then waited for her sensei to continue.

The senbon master coughed lightly into his fist before pulling out (from somewhere, Sakura didn't know) and passed them to her.

"Mission scrolls? You'll be leaving soon. For how long?" Sakura's question stiff and her eyes were slightly glazed with worry.

"I'm going to Iwa, probably about a month, the Hokage and our Daimyo want to try and establish some type of friendship. I don't know why but apparently it's really touchy."

Sakura stared at the scrolls with hard eyes. "What do you have to do?"

Genma blinked for a moment. _Why did Sakura want to know that?_ He thought. He shuffled on his feet for a moment then said, "I have to deliver some gifts to the Earth Daimyo and the Tsuchikage."

Sakura face turned grave, she quickly turned around the scrolls still in her hands before she pushed some chakra into the seal and jewellery and fine art popped out in a small veil of smoke on top of her.

"Oh no, this isn't good."

"Sakura! I could have you reported and stripped of your insubordination for what you just did!" Genma screamed angrily, "What do you have to say for yourself?!"

Sakura grabbed an overly large golden necklace that was laced with rubies thrusted it into Genma's face. "You're going to get yourself kicked out or killed in Iwa with this type of insult, Genma-sensei! What was the Hokage thinking? The Tsuchikage isn't the type of person to take insults lightly especially from people younger than him. I don't want you to die!"

Sakura didn't know what had suddenly come over her, tears swelled in her eyes; she had gone through war with hundreds of different people from Iwa, she knew how prideful they were, she knew how they struggled through many, many famines because of their economic situation; and when she looked at her sensei, a man who, in her previously timeline she barely knew, but in this time like he was her friend, a protector and her teacher. Genma was almost a civilian in shinobi amour with his personality.

They were two incredibly conflicting ideals.

* * *

AN: Hey there lovelies,

11/1/19: Sorry I haven't been updating lately but I have lost quite a bit of my motivation to write, but I have noticed that usually around when classes start I manage to find my motivation again and I will be starting classes in two weeks. So here's hoping

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~Question Corner~  
If you have any questions you would like to ask me you're more than welcome to send them my way and I will answer them in the next chapter


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